Wayne Kramer

Without Wayne Kramer and the MC5, there is no punk. Or if there is, it takes on a completely different form and probably comes along a bit later.

The MC5 came out of Detroit in the 1960s, bringing a new sound and a new message that resonated with fans and went on to inspire countless artists in their wake. It would be bands like the MC5 and the Velvet Underground that created the bedrock that became punk. Even the “grandfather of punk,” Iggy Pop, came about in part due to the MC5’s influence in his hometown of Detroit.

MC5 played their farewell show on December 31, 1972—just as the scene in New York was forming, filled with artists who drew inspiration directly from them.

Unfortunately, just as the seeds he planted began to take root, namely in [finish thought—NY scene? specific bands?], Kramer’s trajectory took a different turn.

The 1970s were filled with artists who were influenced by or channeled the MC5’s sound or message, including the New York Dolls, the Ramones, Rocket from the Tombs & Dead Boys, Keith Morris, Jello Biafra, Henry Rollins, and many more.

Unfortunately, Kramer missed much of the emerging New York scene due to being imprisoned from 1975 to 1977 on cocaine trafficking charges. By late 1979, he had joined up with Johnny Thunders for a short-lived project called Gang War.

The MC5 would not be a long-lived band, though. After breaking up, Kramer was arrested on drug trafficking charges and sent to prison. Upon release in [year], he drifted back into the music scene—or the music scene drifted back to him—in the form of Johnny Thunders. The two started a short-lived band called Gang War before going their separate ways.

Kramer also paid homage to his time with Thunders in his song “Snatched Defeat,” and eventually teamed with Walter Lure (Heartbreakers), Tommy Stinson (Replacements), and Clem Burke (Blondie) at the 2016 Johnny Thunders Memorial Show at Bowery Electric.