Sad news. Michael Davis, MC5 bassist, died

**Whitehouse** · February-19-12, 11:06 AM

Huffington Post.

LOS ANGELES -- 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, Calif., 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.

**black gold man** · February-19-12, 12:10 PM

Sad to hear RIP Michael Davis.

'Michael Davis was a mystery to me in the early incarnation. He was an art student at WSU and was older than the rest of us. We all went to the same high school [[Lincoln Park High) except Mike. He went to wherever I don’t remember. He was very good looking and always had these art nouveau girlfriends hanging out with him. I like Mike a lot and we hit it off pretty good then.

All in all, we had such great times it’s hard to explain. I think we all drew from each other as young men growing up and we felt like an attack Navy Seal team. We were big too. Our average height was right around six feet tall. You did not mess with the MC5 or there would be 7 guys on your butt, kicking it.

I will tell of some shocking stories of this era in the next post. This will be a 3-4 part series into how I saw this band, from my own point of view. We were the undisputed heavyweights of Detroit in 1966 bar none, and I was proud to be a part of this squad. Damn proud…"

MGT
http://www.machinegunthompson.com/20...mc5-story.html

**bopcity** · February-20-12, 11:46 AM

Originally Posted by Dennis Thompson

I will tell of some shocking stories of this era in the next post. This will be a 3-4 part series into how I saw this band, from my own point of view.

Okay, I suffered through that mess now where's part two? That post is from August 22, 2009, some 30 months ago if my calculations are correct. Considering the fact the MC5 had vaporized by the time 1973 arrived, will anyone who cares live long enough to read even the second installment of this exaggerated braggadocio?

As for the thread topic, definitely sad news about Michael Davis. But it seems he had a long run, any number of fallen rockers would've loved to have hit 68. Rest in peace, Mr. Davis.

**MissingDetroit** · February-21-12, 01:50 PM

bopcity -- nice way to project your boredom onto everyone else; personally, I don't agree and know that musicians and fans everywhere will care to read Thompson's ensuing posts, and especially the book he is writing. When you say Michael "had a long run" I guess that means in your opinion he lived long enough? I don't agree with that either -- he was the kind of person who had a lot to offer no matter what age he was. All in all your post contained the kind of mean-spirited venom, especially in response to a death, that the internet is so famous for. Congratulations.

In one of the stories I read over the past couple days the MC5 were described as "overwhelming" performers, and they were, indeed, RIP Michael.

**kenp** · February-21-12, 03:23 PM

It seems like at least once a week we lose somebody that left a mark on our lives. Its like yesterday that those guys were rocking and doing there thing. Its hard to believe Rob's been gone for over 20 years and Fred almost as long. This leaves Wayne and Dennis to carry on.
Anyone know how they are doing?
RIP MD

**Downriviera** · February-21-12, 10:22 PM

RIP, Rock In Peace Michael. The Motor City Five are one of my all time favorites.

**MissingDetroit** · February-22-12, 10:23 AM

From their websites and Fbook Wayne and Dennis are carrying on well in various projects. I read that they played with Michael last summer in Europe, saw that looking through 15 pages of google search hits about his death. A rock musician with an artistic background is a treasure.

**bopcity** · February-22-12, 11:56 AM

Originally Posted by MissingDetroit

A rock musician with an artistic background is a treasure.

Certainly agree with you on that point. But your previous post? Not so much.

"Bored"? WTF? My intention was to post an opinion which is what people tend to do here. I'm not an ageist and understand full well that age is often irrelevant in terms of one's creative abilities. The point was that he himself was probably surprised to have ever made it to 68, a sentiment likely shared by many surviving veterans of the Grande days. I personally hope they're all blessed with rich, beatific lives. Life's good, I dig it.

Projecting your mistaken belief that I felt Michael Davis had lived "long enough" missed the point entirely. Two of his former bandmates, Rob Tyner and Fred "Sonic" Smith, died at 46 from heart problems, about the same age as Morphine's Mark Sandman whose heart gave out onstage. Davis made no secret of his years of heavy alcohol and drug use and detailed his battle with Hepatitis C in his witty and engaging Interferon Funny Guy blog. How many people with a similar background will get anywhere near 70? Did Johnny Thunders even make it to 40?

"Overwhelming"? The MC5 was arguably the most important band Detroit has ever produced or ever will. I'm not big on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame but wouldn't their chances of being recognized as such have been a lot greater had the three, now two, remaining band members not stupidly sabotaged their documentary?

Personally thought Michael was one of that film's highlights, a recent remembrance by Andy Barding, the film's European research co-ordinator, described it well.

The criminally unreleased documentary film, ‘MC5 * A True Testimonial’ shows Mike as he was in the early 21st Century: an Arizona desert horseman with a pet dog named Rooster and one solitary MC5 concert poster on the wall of his small house. “It’s like a person, a being,” he would say of the long-gone Five. “But who is that guy? Who is that? He looks familiar. He’s someone I used to know – but who is he?”

Believing that Dennis Thompson tends to be a little full of himself and my doubt of any projected book ever materializing is "mean-spirited venom"? Really?