MC5's Fred "Sonic" Smith dead at 45
Michael R. Lewis
According to the Detroit News, Fred "Sonic" Smith, formerly of the MC5
and the husband of Patti Smith, died of a heart attack in St. John's
Hospital on Detroit's east side Saturday November 5, 1994.
The death notice says visitation is 1-10 PM Monday at the A.H.Peters
Funeral Home in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. A public memorial service is
planned at 7 PM Tuesday at Mariner's Church near the Detroit Riverfront
and the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel.
The MC5 was a mainstay of the stereotypical "hippie" Ballroom of the 60's,
the Grande Ballroom in Detroit. Smith was one of the guitarists of the
group that stands monolithic and inspirational to several waves and
sub-genre of punk and alternative music.
Closely associated with a political group that sought the reform of
Marijuana Laws, the MC5 played benefits for a political organization led
by John Sinclair. It was live performances at the Grande Ballroom on
October 30-31, 1968 that became the monumental album, "Kick Out The Jams"
on Elektra. The title song opened with the exclamation "Kick Out The
Jams, Motherfucker!" Even with their popularity, the group's struggles
with the record company are legendary. The title track was re-cut with an
intro exclaiming "Kick Out The Jams, Brothers & Sisters!" Even the album
sleeve became edited with only one version including liner notes written
by John Sinclair.
Rob Tyner, lead vocalist died suddenly in 1991. Fred Smith got together
in 1992 with the remaining members of the group to play a tribute to
Tyner and the MC5.
Smith had formed the group the Sonic Rendezvous Band and played the
circuit in Detroit with an avid following.
He was the subject of Patti Smith's song from the album "Wave". The song
"Frederick" as reproduced in her hand as an Lp insert, read:
"Take this message
my dove
to the one I love.
This is dedicated to my clarinet teacher
Fred Sonic Smith"
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More later to this group or other music-relateds...
Write and contribute your stories and sentiments via e-mail to me and I'll
post them at my Plan at two sites for "Finger":
lewi...@metronet.lib.mi.us
If I get enough, I'll create a little "Smithserv" and bounce them back to
those who are interested via my e-mail.
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