Bet you thought it was in NY or LA, right?
Since the family plot is in Lyndhurst (I'm told that the land was cheaper here than on Long Island), Joey's final resting place is close to the Rt 3/Rt 17 intersection.
My friend Eric Leefe (no relation except for music) has been in a wheelchair (cerebral palsy) his whole life, but fronted bands on Long Island in the 80s. I met him as a result of an story about him in The Record two years ago. Jim Beckerman's article can be found here:
http://www.northjersey.com/arts-and-entertainment/music/disability-didn-t-stop-rocker-eric-leefe-1.1050784There's a funny story there about Eric and Joey. He was unhappy that he didn't get to go to Joey's funeral, so I thought today's trip would be a good way to pay his last respects and have some closure.
Eric gets around thanks to a good friend, Fred Provencher, who is the Senior Teaching Pastor at Cornerstone Christian Church in Wyckoff. Fred picked us both up for the short trip - a straight shot down Rt 17.
The Mt. Zion Cemetery is a trip in itself in an entirely different sense. It's the Jewish section of much-larger Hillside Cemetery. As you drive down its interior road, there are concrete monument portals with different names. Joey's grave is in the one called "The New York Social Club".
Of course it is.
His grave is next to his father Noel's and has his given name - Jeff Hyman - on it, along with his more famous moniker and the fact that he's a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer.
There are always interesting things left by fans in front of and on top of the stone marker. Besides the stones on top - a Jewish tradition - other items found on top during our visit included:
- a manufactured red-and-white heart-shaped stone
- pennies
- guitar picks (I have no idea what he would have done with them on stage)
- bottle caps
- a key
- headphone wires
- a horse shoe
At ground level, we found:
- red, white and blue candles in tall, glass votive holders
- a pair of mirror shades hanging on a triptych gargoyle lawn............thing
- a plastic hand/arm
- an unopened bottle of Yoo-Hoo
- and best of all, a can of REFRIED BEANS! ("Sitting here in Queens.........")
I took pictures of a solemn Eric by the grave and one highly-disrespectful laughing one with the refried beans................hey - if you get the reference, it's pretty damn funny!
Eric wanted a moment alone to say goodbye and then it was time to go. Though he lives in NJ now, he's from NY and took comfort in the fact that Joey has a nice view of Manhattan for all eternity.
But what's that now hanging from the monument as Fred wheels Eric away?
I left a little something of my own.
I photographed the Ramones many times from 1977-1990, but the one shot that seems to resonate the most with fans is the one I took in 1977 after he burned his face in the famous teapot incident. So I made a B&W copy of it and included relevant information for the first fan who found it.
Unfortunately, I didn't secure it very well (two small stones), so it's probably already blown away.
Fortunately, I took a closeup of it at home before we left.
(All images are ©Bob Leafe)C
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