As reported by Newser, Michael Davis has passed away at age 68.  Although Davis is best known as the bassist from the highly influential garage rock outfit, MC5 (Motor City 5), he was a man of many interests and talents.  Davis was hospitalized for a month in Chico, CA battling against liver disease before he died this past Saturday, February 17.

Alhough Davis was not the bassist in MC5’s formative stages, he played on all of the band’s albums.  The Detroit-based band took America by storm from 1963-1972.  They had a rough, highly animated sound and politically agressive lyrics that served as a major inspiration to the punk genre.  In ’72, Davis was kicked out of the band due to his problems with drugs and MC5 disbanded soon after.

After his time with MC5, Davis played in a punk band called Destroy All Monsters for seven years and also worked with The Lords of Altamont, Blood Orange and Rich Hopkins and the Luminarios.  In his later life, Davis and his wife Angela Davis founded the Music is Revolution Foundation in support of music programs in public schools.  In his final years, Davis spent time with his family, worked as a record producer and re-immersed himself in his love for creating art.  He was a man of many talents and passions.

Take a listen to MC5’s “Kick Out The Jams”, an influential track that has been covered by Rage Against the Machine, Pearl Jam and Jeff Buckley.