Dennis Thompson, the original drummer for the iconic Detroit rock band MC5, passed away today (May 9, 2024). This is yet another shocking death of a band member and the final shattering blow in a span of just over three months when he passed away. Thompson, better known as “Machine Gun,” passed away at the age of 75, one month after having a heart attack.
His demise comes after the passing of Wayne Kramer, the band’s guitarist and vocalist, who also passed away in February at the same age. John Sinclair, who was not only a poet and writer but also a political activist, passed away on April 2nd. He was the manager of the MC5.
The MC5 were eventually chosen for admission into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the Class of 2024 in the category of Musical Excellence. This came after the band had been repeatedly passed over for induction for several decades.
Robert Tyner, the band’s singer, lost away in 1991, Fred “Sonic” Smith, the band’s guitarist, killed away in 1994, and Michael Davis, the band’s bassist, passed away in 2012. It was the Detroit Free Press that broke the news that Thompson had passed away at a medical rehabilitation facility.
The newspaper cited a “series of medical issues” as the reason for his passing. According to the evidence presented in the report, he was in the hospital when he received the news that the band had been selected for induction into the Rock Hall of Fame.