In 1989, C.J. Ramone walked into one of the tougher jobs in the history of rock & roll -- he took over as bassist with punk rock icons the Ramones after Dee Dee Ramone, the band's most charismatic member, left the group. C.J. proved he was more than up to the task, and he helped the group survive and thrive in its final years. C.J. Ramone was born Christopher Joseph Ward on October 8, 1965 in Queens, New York (the Ramones' original stomping grounds), though he spent most of his childhood in Deer Park, New York. ~ Mark Deming