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    Bassist from '60s band MC5 dies at age 68

    LOS ANGELES (AP) — Michael Davis, the bassist of influential late 1960s rock band MC5, has died of liver failure, his wife said Saturday. He was 68.

    Davis died at Enloe Medical Center in Chico, California, on Friday afternoon after a month-long hospitalization for liver disease, said Angela Davis.

    Born on June 5, 1943, the bassist gained attention in the revolutionary Detroit band MC5 and later played in a version of the group called DKT-MC5 with former MC5 members Wayne Kramer on guitar and Dennis Thompson on drums.

    The original MC5 rose to prominence from 1964 to 1972, making waves with incendiary anti-establishment lyrics and a blistering early-punk sound, starting with their first album "Kick Out the Jams," released in 1969.

    A sought-after bassist and also producer, Davis was planning to be in Belgium this week recording with punk rock musician Sonny Vincent, said Davis' wife.

    Davis had a scare in 2006 when he injured his back in a motorcycle accident on a Southern California freeway. He later co-founded the non-profit Music Is Revolution Foundation, dedicated to supporting music education programs in public schools.

    In the last few years, Davis also returned to a love of painting, fostered when he first studied fine arts at Wayne State University in Michigan. He dropped out of the program in 1964 to play music, but started studying art again recently in Oregon and California, with the intention of finishing his bachelor's degree in fine arts.

    Davis is survived by his wife, their three sons, and a daughter from a previous marriage. Memorial plans were pending, said Angela Davis.

     
    • I  •  Port Huron, Michigan  •  2 mths ago
      not the times for rockers from this era I guess. dropping like flies.
    • mike c  •  2 mths ago
      MC5 are probably my 3rd favorite band of all time. They are timeless and still soooo relevant after all this time. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU Michael Davis. You kicked 'em out!!!!
    • Mo  •  Santa Clara, California  •  3 mths ago
      MC5 were punk pioneers as well!
      • Zombie Birdhouse 3 mths ago
        Glen Matlock (and others from that era) credits the MC5 for having an incredible influence on the English punk movement.
    • Jon  •  2 mths ago
      he's rockin' the house with Ron Ashton now. go in peace, brother!
    • Yolanda F  •  Arlington, Virginia  •  3 mths ago
      My condolences to this family. May God bless and comfort them during this difficult time.
    • legalize420  •  3 mths ago
      Oz isn't worth getting upset with.He's been trolling this article all night so he obviously has no friends or a life.Instead of getting mad at him,we should all just pity him and his pathetic existence.It must really suck to be him.
    • Conservalib  •  3 mths ago
      MC5 was a wild band, one that I got a chance to see back in 1970. Hard to believe all that time has passed. RIP dude
    • catman2130093  •  3 mths ago
      Kick out the jams mutha ***kers!!!!!!
    • Peter  •  Kalamazoo, Michigan  •  3 mths ago
      RIP Michael . Great band!
    • bigtop  •  2 mths ago
      I hope he makes a speedy recovery, god bless.
    • timba  •  Las Vegas, Nevada  •  3 mths ago
      Kick Out the Jams...one of the greatest rock songs ever recorded. Thanks, Mike. May you RIP. And to all those not familiar with the MC5...do your research!
    • Dublin  •  3 mths ago
      MC5 was a great band. I seen them in 1967 in Ann Arbor still have the original tee shirt. They started the puck scene. They rocked hard. They were pioneers. They spit at the establishment through music, and weren't afraid to say it. Young people today should just take the time to listen to MC5, and many bands like them. Even my sons 32 & 28 know the music of the MC5. RIP Michael.
    • nick  •  Nashville, Tennessee  •  3 mths ago
      If anyone ever encounters this Oz punk, please kick out his jam.
      • Robert 3 mths ago
        oz=CLOWN has way too much on his hands' r.i.p. michael.
      • Robert 3 mths ago
        TIME"
    • Old Enough To Remember  •  3 mths ago
      Can't get enough of the MC5 even as I approach 50. Thank you Uncle for letting me play through your record collection throughout the sixties!
    • Nitrodaddy  •  Milwaukee, Wisconsin  •  3 mths ago
      For those of you who posted that you never heard of them, go buy the CD. When I bought their first recording, it was called a "record", and you played it on a record player. After you listened to one side you then turned it over to hear the songs on the other side. A great, great record as well as a great band! Some are beginning to realize that they were the early sound of punk long before punk came into the music scene. RIP Michael and in tribute to you to honor your passing I will play the bands first album & greatest hit at full volume." Kick Out the Jams MotherF**ker!!!!! "
      • Bob 3 mths ago
        amen my friend. MC5 rules
      • PETER 3 mths ago
        It has been reissued on wax, I have the 1st and 2nd pressings of Kick out the Jams, Looking at You on A Square and promos of the 2nd and 3rd, needless to say this is a sad day here. Bomp has a collection of the early stuff y'all need to get if you haven't
    • Paul  •  Providence, Rhode Island  •  3 mths ago
      saw them, edgar winter and Led Zepplin in Boston Garden circa 69, 70. awesome show.
      • One Eyed Jack 3 mths ago
        Saw them at Stony Brook U. with Ten Years After in 70. Terrific!
    • jvkla  •  Los Angeles, California  •  3 mths ago
      MC5 epitomized what rock would ultimately become in the post-60's world, for better and worse but mostly better... Their debut still sounds fresh and commands attention after 43 years, and still should be included in any serious top-100 list of greatest rock albums. Its reach may have been small compared to other bands of the day, but its influence is immeasurable. I hate to see the musicians of the era leave us, but were at the point where a lot of them will. RIP Mike. Fred's waiting with his guitar on the other side...
    • VinceB  •  3 mths ago
      A man of integrity, a rockin' bassist, a part of the movement, a friend! I'm sad to know that he is gone along with Fred Smith and Rob Tyner...
    • Dave W  •  Brockton, Massachusetts  •  3 mths ago
      Loved those guys
    • Barbara/ellen  •  Cincinnati, Ohio  •  3 mths ago
      Thank you for the Music - RIP
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