Robert W. Derminer (December 12, 1944 – September 18, 1991), known as Rob Tyner, was an American musician best known as the lead singer for the Detroit proto-punk band

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 ...

. His adopted surname was in tribute to the

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

pianist

McCoy Tyner Alfred McCoy Tyner (December 11, 1938March 6, 2020) was an American jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer known for his work with the John Coltrane Quartet from 1960 to 1965, and his long solo career afterwards. He was an NEA Jazz Masters, NEA J ...

. It was Tyner who issued the rallying cry of " kick out the jams, motherfuckers" at the MC5's live concerts. Tyner had originally auditioned as the bass player, but the band felt his talents would be best used as the lead vocalist.

Life and career

Early years

Rob Tyner was born on December 12, 1944, in

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

. He was baptized and raised in the Episcopal Church, but often sought ways to incorporate the spirituality from his Native American heritage into the Christian faith of his birth.

MC5

Tyner joined the group that was to become MC5 in 1964. He auditioned to be the band's bassist, but soon became its lead vocalist. MC5 earned national attention with their first album, '' Kick Out the Jams'', recorded live on October 30 and 31, 1968, at Detroit's Grande Ballroom. Critic Mark Deming writes that ''Kick out the Jams'' is: The album caused some controversy due to the inflammatory

liner notes Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or cassette j-cards. Origin Liner notes are descended from the prog ...

by the band's manager, John Sinclair, and the title track's rallying cry of "Kick out the jams, motherfuckers!" According to MC5 guitarist

Wayne Kramer Wayne Stanley Kramer (''né'' Kambes; April 30, 1948 – February 2, 2024) was an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer, and Film score, film and television composer. Kramer came to prominence in the 1960s as the lead guitarist of t ...

, the band recorded this as "Kick out the jams, brothers and sisters!" for the single released for radio play; Tyner claimed this was done without group consensus. The edited version also appeared in some LP copies, which also withdrew Sinclair's comments. The album was released in January 1969. He remained with the band until late 1972, when the MC5 split up.

Other works

In 1977, Tyner collaborated with Eddie & the Hot Rods for a 7-inch release coinciding with a promotional UK tour to promote MC5 vinyl reissues. Simultaneously back in the US, Tyner had launched "the New MC5" which later operated as the Rob Tyner Band and laid the foundation for "Rob Tyner & the National Rock Group", a project which was prolific but issued no recordings. In 1985, Tyner donated his talents to a benefit LP for Vietnam Veterans. Tyner dipped into the song catalog of the National Rock Group for his 1990 album ''Blood Brothers'', and plans were in the works to play more live shows, including plans with Blackfoot drummer Jackson Spires, when he died in 1991.

Death

On September 17, 1991, Tyner suffered a heart attack in the seat of his parked car close to his home town of

Berkley, Michigan Berkley is a city in Oakland County, Michigan, Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. A northern Metro Detroit, suburb of Detroit on the Woodward Corridor, Berkley is located roughly northwest of downtown Detroit. As of the 2020 United ...

. He was taken to Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, where he died, leaving his wife, Becky, and three children. Tyner is buried at Roseland Park Cemetery in Berkley, Michigan.

Discography

MC5

* '' Kick Out the Jams'' (1969) * '' Back in the USA'' (1970) * '' High Time'' (1971)

Robin Tyner & The Hot Rods

* "Till the Night Is Gone (Let's Rock) / Flipside Rock" (1977)

Stev Manteiv

* ''Ambush'' (1985)

Solo

* ''Blood Brothers'' (1990)

The Rob Tyner Band

* ''Rock and Roll People'' (1999)