Guitarist Wayne Kramer, founding member of the MC5, dead at 75

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.