Dennis Thompson (born Dennis Andrew Tomich; September 7, 1948 – May 9, 2024) was an American drummer known for playing with the 1960s–70s Detroit proto-punk/

hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a heavier subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and Distortion (music), distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the Garage rock, garage, Psychedelic rock, psychedelic and blues ...

group

MC5 MC5 was an American rock music, rock band formed in Lincoln Park, Michigan, in 1963. The classic lineup consisted of vocalist Rob Tyner, guitarists Wayne Kramer and Fred "Sonic" Smith, bassist Michael Davis (bassist), Michael Davis, and drummer ...

, which had a No. 82 US single with " Kick Out the Jams" and a No. 30 US album with the same name.

Biography

Thompson was born Dennis Andrew Tomich in Detroit in 1948. He began playing drums by the time he was nine years old. Joining the MC5 by 1965, Thompson was later given the nickname "Machine Gun" because of his "assault" style of fast, hard-hitting drumming that sonically resembles the sound of his namesake Thompson machine gun (commonly referred to as a "Tommy Gun"). His drumming pre-figured and influenced punk,

metal A metal () is a material that, when polished or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electrical resistivity and conductivity, electricity and thermal conductivity, heat relatively well. These properties are all associated wit ...

, and

hardcore punk Hardcore punk (commonly abbreviated to hardcore or hXc) is a punk rock music genre#subtypes, subgenre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots ...

drumming styles. After MC5 broke up in the early 1970s, Thompson was a member of the 1975–1976 Los Angeles–based supergroup The New Order, the 1981 Australia-based supergroup New Race, The Motor City Bad Boys, and The Secrets. In 2001, he guested for Asmodeus X on the song "The Tiger" (St. Thomas Records). His influences include

Elvin Jones Elvin Ray Jones (September 9, 1927 – May 18, 2004) was an American jazz drummer of the post-bop era. Most famously a member of John Coltrane's quartet, with whom he recorded from late 1960 to late 1965, Jones appeared on such albums as ''My Fa ...

, Keith Moon and Mitch Mitchell, and

Motown Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau ...

. In 2015, he described how his drumming technique had changed considerably over time, playing with "much less force and tucked in elbows, more wrist action and less arm action". Thompson was in the band DKT/MC5 with the surviving members of

, from 2003–2012. Later, he recorded two tracks for a new MC5 album scheduled for October 2022 release. Later titled '' Heavy Lifting'', it was released in October 2024.

Death

Thompson suffered a heart attack in April 2024, and died in Taylor, Michigan, on May 9, at the age of 75. He was the final surviving member of the MC5.Dennis Thompson, last remaining member of MC5, dies at age 75
''The Detroit News''. 9 May 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2024.

References

External links

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1948 births 2024 deaths American punk rock singers MC5 members American people of Slovak descent American protopunk musicians American male drummers American punk rock drummers American rock drummers Singers from Detroit The New Order (band) members 20th-century American drummers New Race members 20th-century American male musicians Drummers from Detroit {{US-rock-drummer-stub