Punk pioneer Dee Dee Ramone, a founder member of the Ramones, has been found dead at his home in Hollywood.

Ramone, whose real name was Douglas Glenn Colvin, was found dead on his couch by his wife when she returned home on Wednesday evening.

The Los Angeles coroner's office said drug paraphernalia, including a single syringe had been found in his home.

Thank you, Dee Dee, you're very wonderful

Dee Dee Ramone, March 2002

"We are handling it as a possible accidental overdose," coroner's office operations chief Craig Harvey said.

Mr Harvey did not say which drug was suspected of causing his death. An autopsy is scheduled to take place on Thursday.

The coroner's office put his age at 50, however some references listed him as 49, the same age Joey Ramone was when he died last year 2001.

UK success

Dee Dee Ramone was part of the band's first line-up when it was founded in Queens, New York, in 1974.

All of the group's members adopted the surname Ramone and dressed in torn blue jeans and leather jackets, as a tribute to 1950s rock stars.

Their debut album was released in 1976, but it was in the UK where they found early success, influencing punk acts like the Sex Pistols.

Their best-known songs reflected their lifestyle - I Wanna Be Sedated, Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue, Teenage Lobotomy, and Sheena Is A Punk Rocker.

Ramone left the band in 1989 to pursue a rap career - which failed - and later formed his own band, Chinese Dragons.

Drug struggle

The Ramones finally disbanded in 1996, and lead singer Joey Ramone died in April 2001 of lymphoma, a form of cancer, aged 49.

In his autobiography - Lobotomy: Surviving The Ramones - Dee Dee Ramone wrote about his struggle with alcohol and drug abuse.

The bassist's death comes 11 weeks after the band was celebrated with induction into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

At the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony, Ramone joked: "I'd like to congratulate myself, and thank myself, and give myself a big pat on the back.

"Thank you, Dee Dee, you're very wonderful."