Current:Home > FinanceGuitarist Wayne Kramer, founding member of the MC5, dead at 75-LoTradeCoin
Guitarist Wayne Kramer, founding member of the MC5, dead at 75
View Date:2024-12-23 19:20:26
Wayne Kramer, the influential guitarist from the seminal garage rock band the MC5 has died at 75, according to his Instagram page.
Kramer's social page did not provide additional details about the cause of his death, but noted the prominent performer passed away on Friday.
Kramer and the MC5's Fred "Sonic" Smith were both among Rolling Stone's 2010 list of all-time top 100 guitarists. They "funneled Sun Ra's sci-fi jazz through twin howitzers. Together they staked out a vision for hard rock that felt ecstatic, giddy, boundless," the outlet's David Fricke wrote.
The band, initially active from the late 1960s to early 1970s, were politically active and used music to deliver a revolutionary message. They were managed for a time by White Panther co-founder John Sinclair and joined him at the 1968 Democratic Convention.
The MC5 did not achieve commercial success and broke up in 1972 but their influence lives on through generations of musicians who were inspired by the group's attitude and sound. Led Zeppelin, The Clash and Rage Against the Machine are among bands influenced by the MC5.
"Their legacy as radical rockers and punk progenitors lives on," Rolling Stone declared in naming the MC5 – the name stood for "Motor City Five" – among rock & roll's rebels.
Smith, who had a long history of legal battles and substance abuse, would tell his story – including a two-year stint in prison on a cocaine-dealing charge – in the 2018 memoir “The Hard Stuff: Dope, Crime, the MC5, and My Life of Impossibilities.”
Also at that time, Kramer and drummer Dennis Thompson, the only surviving member of the band, reunited for a MC50 anniversary tour and they were joined by younger musicians influenced by the MC5 including guitarist Kim Thayil (Soundgarden), drummer Brendan Canty (Fugazi), bassist Doug Pinnick (King's X) and towering, 6-foot-7 singer Marcus Durant (Zen Guerrilla).
Beyond celebrating the 50th anniversary of "Kick Out the Jams," Kramer felt the need to bring the music to life again.
“The message of the MC5 has always been the sense of possibilities: a new music, a new politics, a new lifestyle,” Kramer said in a statement. “Today, there is a corrupt regime in power, an endless war thousands of miles away, and uncontrollable violence wracking our country. It’s becoming less and less clear if we’re talking about 1968 or 2018. I’m now compelled to share this music I created with my brothers 50 years ago. My goal is that the audience leaves these concerts fueled by the positive and unifying power of rock music.”
Kramer had planned to release a new MC5 album in early 2024, he told Mojo in December 2023. Among those involved Tom Morello, Don Was, Vernon Reid and Slash.
The music wasn't going to be the same as that seminal and influential rock album, considered among the greatest ever. " It’s not the same. We are not living in 1968. We’re in the era that we’re in, and one has to address that. In all art, you have to answer the question: so what? Why should I care? Because I made the best music I possibly could. "
Contributing: The Associated Press.
veryGood! (44494)
Related
- Louisiana House greenlights Gov. Jeff Landry’s tax cuts
- Israeli drone fires missiles at aluminum plant in south Lebanon
- Formula 1, Las Vegas Grand Prix facing class-action lawsuit over forcing fans out Thursday
- L.L. Bean CEO Stephen Smith answers questions about jelly beans
- 5-year-old boy who went missing while parent was napping is found dead near Oregon home, officials say
- Deion Sanders saddened after latest Colorado loss: 'Toughest stretch of probably my life'
- Bangladesh’s top court upholds decision barring largest Islamist party from elections
- Armenia and Azerbaijan speak different diplomatic languages, Armenia’s leader says
- More than 150 pronghorns hit, killed on Colorado roads as animals sought shelter from snow
- Jordan’s foreign minister offers blistering criticism of Israel as its war on Hamas rages on
Ranking
- Fantasy football buy low, sell high: 10 trade targets for Week 11
- Check Out All These Bachelor Nation Couples Who Recently Got Married
- Maine and Massachusetts are the last states to keep bans on Sunday hunting. That might soon change
- Argentine presidential candidate Milei goes to the opera — and meets both cheers and jeers
- Surprise bids revive hope for offshore wind in Gulf of Mexico after feds cancel lease sale
- Thanksgiving recipes to help you save money on food costs and still impress your guests
- White House rejects congressional requests tied to GOP-led House impeachment inquiry against Biden, as special counsel charges appear unlikely
- He lost $200,000 when FTX imploded last year. He's still waiting to get it back
Recommendation
-
'We suffered great damage': Fierce California wildfire burns homes, businesses
-
Why Americans feel gloomy about the economy despite falling inflation and low unemployment
-
Is China Emitting a Climate Super Pollutant in Violation of an International Environmental Agreement?
-
Michigan makes college football history in win over Maryland
-
Philadelphia mass transit users face fare hikes of more than 20% and possible service cuts
-
Political violence threatens to intensify as the 2024 campaign heats up, experts on extremism warn
-
California Democrats meet to consider endorsement in US Senate race ahead of March primary
-
Brazil surprise songs: See the tunes Taylor Swift played in Rio de Janeiro