By BRIAN GIFFIN
WAYNE Kramer, founder and guitarist of the legendary Detroit proto-punk garage rock band MC5, has died at the age of 75.
Kramer’s Instagram page broke the news of his passing early today Australian time. No cause of death was given in the announcement.
Kramer and Fred “Sonic” Smith formed MC5 in the early 60s, gaining a reputation locally for fierce, politically-charged live performances in support of left-leaning causes. Once the line-up solidified, the band released Kick Out the Jams – recorded live – in 1969 but had broken up by the early seventies due to financial constraints and government harassment. Both their sound and stance set a template for later movements like punk and metal.
After MC5, Kramer spent time in prison following his arrest as a drug dealer. In the eighties he was part of Was (Not Was) and began work as a producer and engineer and during the nineties began a solo career, reformed MC5 several times and continued to work with other artists almost right up to the time of his death.
Image: Per Lange
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