Wayne Kramer, the guitarist and co-founder of MC5, has passed away at the age of 75 after battling pancreatic cancer. His death was announced on his Instagram page, and he died at Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles. Tributes have poured in from various artists including Primal Scream, Slash and Tom Morello.
Primal Scream wrote a lengthy post on their Instagram page, describing how being able to play with MC5 was a dream come true. Slash, who worked with Kramer on MC5’s forthcoming album, described him as a great human being and the embodiment of all things rock and roll. Tom Morello spoke of the day Jail Guitar Doors with Billy Bragg, the charity Kramer helped launch, was formed and how he embodied a combination of wisdom and compassion that was beyond inspiring.
Kramer formed MC5 in 1963 with fellow guitarist Fred Smith before frontman Rob Tyner and bassist Michael Davis joined the band. They built a live reputation playing on bills with the likes of Cream and were signed to Elektra in 1968. They released three albums including the live recording ‘Kick Out The Jams’ which was released in 1969 and ‘High Time’ before splitting in 1972. Kramer went on to form a solo career in the 1990s releasing his debut ‘The Hard Stuff’ in 1995.
Kramer launched the non-profitable organization Jail Guitar Doors with his wife and manager, Margaret Saadi Kramer, and Billy Bragg in the mid-2000s. The organization provides musical instruments and mentorship to help rehabilitate individuals who are experiencing incarceration through the transformative power of music. In 2018, Kramer teamed up with a host of guest artists for a tour to mark MC5’s 50th anniversary of ‘Kick Out The Jams’, and in 2022, he said he was working on a new MC5 album which is yet to be released
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