PUNK LEGEND DEE DEE DIES; Rocker overdoses at Hollywood home.

Byline: NATHAN YATES

PUNK legend Dee Dee Ramone has been found dead from a suspected drugs overdose.

The 50-year-old bass player was discovered slumped on a couch in his Hollywood home with a syringe by his side.

Just a few months ago, the Ramones singer, Joey, died from cancer.

Dee Dee - real name Douglas Glenn Colvin - was found by his wife on Wednesday night.

Paramedics arrived but pronounced him dead at the scene.Craig Harvey, of the local coroner's office, said last night: "The investigator noted drug paraphernalia, including a single syringe on the kitchen counter, and we are handing it as a possible accidental overdose."

Dee Dee was a founding member of the New York punk band which inspired British groups like The Clash and The Sex Pistols.

It was in Britain that The Ramones first found commercial success with songs such as Sheena Is A Punk Rocker, I Wanna Be Sedated and Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue.

The band, whose catchphrase was Gabba Gabba Hey, recorded their first album of two-minute, three-chord blasts in February 1976.

Dee Dee left the band in the 80's and tried his hand at rap.

Tragedy struck in April when lead singer Joey, real name Jeffrey Hyman, died aged 49 after a battle against lymphatic cancer.

Just a few weeks ago, Dee Dee joined surviving members Johnny and Tommy as the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.