Michael Davis, the bassist of classic garage rock outfit MC5, died on Friday (February 17) in a hospital in Chico, CA. He was 68.
The Associated Press reports that Davis had been staying in the facility for a month to receive treatment for liver disease. He eventually died of liver failure.
Davis will be most widely remembered for his contribution to the music world as the founding bassist of MC5, a Detroit-based band that's often considered one of garage rock's most influential acts. The 1969 album Kick Out the Jams (with its unforgettable tittle track) is heralded as a proto-punk classic.
The band were initially active from 1964 to 1972, but in recent years, the surviving members joined up for a relatively low-key reunion. Singer Rob Tyner died in 1991 at age 46, while guitarist Fred "Sonic" Smith died in 1994 at age 45.
Davis's other projects included Destroy All Monsters (a noise band also featuring Stooges guitarist Ron Asheton), as well as Rich Hopkins and Luminarios. In his final years, Davis and wife Angela started a non-profit to promote music education called the Music Is Revolution Foundation. The bassist was originally planning to travel to Belgium this week to record with punk veteran Sonny Vincent.
Davis is survived by his wife and their three sons, plus a daughter from a previous marriage.
The Associated Press reports that Davis had been staying in the facility for a month to receive treatment for liver disease. He eventually died of liver failure.
Davis will be most widely remembered for his contribution to the music world as the founding bassist of MC5, a Detroit-based band that's often considered one of garage rock's most influential acts. The 1969 album Kick Out the Jams (with its unforgettable tittle track) is heralded as a proto-punk classic.
The band were initially active from 1964 to 1972, but in recent years, the surviving members joined up for a relatively low-key reunion. Singer Rob Tyner died in 1991 at age 46, while guitarist Fred "Sonic" Smith died in 1994 at age 45.
Davis's other projects included Destroy All Monsters (a noise band also featuring Stooges guitarist Ron Asheton), as well as Rich Hopkins and Luminarios. In his final years, Davis and wife Angela started a non-profit to promote music education called the Music Is Revolution Foundation. The bassist was originally planning to travel to Belgium this week to record with punk veteran Sonny Vincent.
Davis is survived by his wife and their three sons, plus a daughter from a previous marriage.
