MC5’s Wayne Kramer Is Dead, Aged 75
After a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer, legendary guitarist and MC5 co-founder Wayne Kramer passed away at the age of 75, according to Billboard. According to executive director Jason Heath of Wayne’s humanitarian organization, Jail Guitar Doors, Wayne passed away at Los Angeles’ Cedars-Sinai Hospital. His Instagram feed announced his passing with the following message: “Wayne S. Kramer. I hope you find peace. February 2, 2024–April 30, 1948.” Several entertainers have paid tribute to the great guitarist, including Tom Morello, Slash, and Primal Scream.
Kramer co-founded MC5 in 1963 with fellow guitarist Fred Smith, and later, Rob Tyner and Michael Davis joined the band. They quickly gained a live reputation and were signed to Elektra in 1968. Their debut album, ‘Kick Out The Jams,’ was a live recording from Detroit’s Grande Ballroom, where the band had made a name for themselves. They released two more albums, ‘Back in ‘the USA’ and ‘High Time’, before disbanding in 1972. Kramer later launched the nonprofit Jail Guitar Doors with his wife and manager, Margaret Saadi Kramer, and Billy Bragg in the mid-2000s. The organization is dedicated to “providing musical instruments and mentorship to help rehabilitate individuals 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’. In 2022, he also revealed that he was working on a new MC5 album, which has yet to be released.
Primal Scream posted a detailed reminiscence of their 2007 Meltdown performance with MC5 and Kramer on their Instagram page. While Tom Morello, who worked with Kramer on MC5’s upcoming album “Heavy Lifting,” talked about their first day of work together when Billy Bragg’s charity Jail Guitar Doors was created, Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash also sent an emotional homage to Kramer on social media. The Cure’s Lol Tolhurst hailed Kramer as “a revolutionary artist who walked it like he talked it,” a sentiment that Bragg himself expressed.
My life was forever changed for the better when I met this man. & I'm going to miss him immeasurably. The embodiment of all things Rock n Roll. & a really fucking great human being. RIP Wayne, you will live on in our hearts. #WayneKramer#MC5#JailGuitarDoors#RocknRoll#Detroit…
— Slash (@Slash) February 3, 2024
Wayne Kramer & I at Sing Sing Prison on the day @JailGuitarDoors was born. Wayne embodied a combination of wisdom & compassion that was beyond inspiring. Rest in peace my dear brother. pic.twitter.com/dWqE7943LQ
— Tom Morello (@tmorello) February 3, 2024
Wayne Kramer was a revolutionary artist who walked it like he talked it. His own incarceration gave him an instant bond with the prisoners he helped through his leadership of Jail Guitar Doors USA. My thoughts are with Margaret and their son Francis https://t.co/RRh5IadrFM
— Billy Bragg (@billybragg) February 3, 2024
RIP Wayne Kramer: When I was 12 or 13 I bought the Age of Atlantic compilation . The MC5 were on there and as I investigated further I came to get the idea about what music could do from them . It's still there in my mind. Thank you .
— Lol Tolhurst (@LolTolhurst) February 3, 2024
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