Kramer’s official Instagram page marked the musician’s passing with ‘Wayne S. Kramer ‘PEACE BE WITH YOU’ April 30, 1948 – February 2, 2024', and a subsequent post has revealed the cause of death to be pancreatic cancer. He is survived by his wife, Margaret Saadi.
The guitarist was a co-founder of Detroit band MC5 (Motor City Five), which has been a massive influence in the rock and punk spheres since the late 60’s, and has been described by some as the “fathers of punk rock”. Dennis Thompson, the drummer, is now the only surviving original member.
Known for their loud political activism and outspoken interventions, the band became a counterculture icon and a staple in various fights against the social injustices and abuses of a broken modern society. They were no strangers to retailer boycotts and radio censorship, but still their music was able to reach and influence entire generations of artists.
Kramer’s life was a rollercoaster: while the band had been around since 1963, they rose to prominence with the release of their debut album “Kick out the Jams” in 1969, which spawned the eponymous single and became an unofficial motto of the rebellious zeitgeist of the 60s and 70s.
After the group disbanded, Kramer fell into hard times and ended up serving time in prison, where he continued to study music. After his release, he kept on playing (in groups and solo), founded an independent music label, and never stopped his social activism endeavours.
