MC5 guitarist Wayne Kramer sadly dies after heartbreaking comeback dream
Wayne Kramer has died at the age of 75.
The American guitarist, singer, songwriter and composer co-founded the iconic Detroit proto-punk band MC5 - which were formed in 1963, bursting onto the music scene in 1969 with the release of their debut album, titled Kick Out The Jams. Wayne's death was announced on social media by the band - who shared a black and white image of him laughing and smiling.
A statement alongside the image, shared on Instagram, read: "Wayne S. Kramer 'PEACE BE WITH YOU' April 30, 1948 - February 2, 2024" and included a white dove emoji. A cause of death has not been revealed.
Fans of Wayne and the MC5 band have taken to social media to share their grief and to offer condolences. Responding to the post by the band on Instagram, one fan wrote: "Truly a great man, lovely in every respect, and a fighter for good."
Wayne's death was announced by his band, MC5 (Instagram)
Rage Against The Machine star Tom Morello paid tribute to the late musician (Instagram)Another fan lamented: "Wow… he was a true innovator and rebel… brilliant guitar player. He left his mark… hard to find the right news. It’s a shock." And another wrote in distress: "no no no no. Wayne. No words. Can’t handle this one."
Iconic rock singer Alice Cooper posted a tribute of his own on his Instagram grid, sharing a photo of Wayne and penning a short but poignant tribute. He typed: "Today we lost longtime friend - and sometimes collaborator - Wayne Kramer of the MC5. RIP."
Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello also paid tribute on Instagram, sharing a lengthy post about the late musician. He wrote: "Brother Wayne Kramer was the best man I’ve ever known. He possessed a one of a kind mixture of deep wisdom & profound compassion, beautiful empathy and tenacious conviction. His band the MC5 basically invented punk rock music...
"Wayne came through personal trials of fire with drugs and jail time and emerged a transformed soul who went on to save countless lives through his tireless acts of service. He and his incredible wife Margaret founded @jailguitardoorsusa which founds music programs in prisons as life changing effective rehabilitation. I’ve played with Wayne in prisons and watched him transform lives, he was just unbelievable ... The countless lives he’s touch, healed, helped and saved will continue his spirit and legacy. He was like a non-Tom Joad. Whenever and wherever any of us kick out the jams, Brother Wayne will be right there with us."
Wayne was born in April 1948 and was a teenager when he co-founded MC5 in 1963. Four years later, the band were hired as shte house band of Detroit's famous Grande Ballroom. The band recorded three albums with 1969’s Kick Out The Jams released under Elektra, and both 1971’s Back in the USA and 1972’s High Time both released under Atlantic Records.
As pioneers of punk music, the band faced backlashes and were banned from the radio. They were also managed by John Sinclair - a radical left-wing writer and co-founder of the White Panther Party, which also brought the band under scrutiny by the American government. MC5, however, paved the way for punk bands that rose to prominence in the 1970s.
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