Arturo Vega, webmaster of ramonesworld.com at work I LIKE TO WORK. WORK IS GOOD.

Sure, it's easy for me to say - I've worked for and with the Ramones for 27 years, a band with a great work ethic. It was especially easy to work with Joey. His approach was always fun and hassle-free. Maybe it was because from very early on, life was so tough on him that he had to develop an incredibly sharp sense of survival, along with instincts that lead him to make himself super-cool against unfavorable odds. For him, trying to look good wasn't about narcissism; it was purely about survival. He also knew that being negative is unhealthy and had no time for aggression and hostility. Music was his passion, and everything in his life led to a song. I can't even imagine the songs that his struggle of the last few months could have inspired - a great loss to us all. Yes, Joey, you left plenty of great music behind to make our lives happier. I learned a lot from you, and I know you wouldn't want us to be sad. But we are. We are very, very sad. Arturo Vega, April 25, 2001