Dennis Thompson, Drummer and Last Surviving Member of MC5, Dies at 75

Dennis Thompson, the last surviving member of Detroit garage rock icons MC5, has died at the age of 75. Thompson, who drummed for the band, died while recovering from a recent heart attack in Taylor, Michigan while in a rehabilitation facility, his son Chris McNulty confirmed.

Born Dennis Tomich in Detroit on Sept. 7, 1948, the drummer was surrounded by a family of musicians; his mother and father, Leona Hicov and John Tomich, were musicians while his older brother sang and played the guitar. Thompson’s journey as MC5’s drummer started when he joined his brother’s band at an early age, performing in bars around the Michigan area.

Thompson joined MC5 in 1966 at only 17 years old, and he earned the name “Machine Gun” due to his intense playing style. He would admit in later years that the reason for his intense style was simply due to not being able to have his drum kit mic’d up in the group’s early years.

He joined the band along with two guitarists, Wayne Kramer and Fred Smith, the singer Rob Tyner and the bassist Michael Davis. John Sinclair, an activist who founded an organisation allied with the Black Panthers called the White Panther Party, managed the band.

Despite not achieving major commercial success, MC5 left a legacy that grew over time. The band was highly influential, and its impact on the music industry is still felt today. Dennis Thompson went on to play with short-lived bands like The New Order and Motor City Bad Boys in the 1970s before leaving the music industry to work as a tool-and-die maker until his retirement.

“Dennis would tell you that they weren’t the most commercially successful band, but they’re one of the most influential bands,” Mr. McNulty said. “All of them, especially Dennis, were very proud of that.”