MC5 drummer Dennis Thompson has died at age 75.
A post published Thursday, May 9, on the MC5 Instagram reads, “Drummer Dennis ‘Machine Gun’ Thompson, engine room of the MC5, died of heart failure this morning in Michigan. Rest in beats.”
Formed outside Detroit in 1963, MC5 was massively influential on the burgeoning punk rock scene. They were known particularly for their 1969 album Kick Out the Jams and its title track.
News of Thompson’s passing comes just three months after MC5 guitarist Wayne Kramer died in February. Thompson and Kramer were the last two surviving members of the classic Kick Out the Jams lineup.
MC5 is among the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees with the Musical Excellence award.
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