February 19, 2012 10:31

MC5 bassist Michael Davis dies aged 68

Bassist passed away as a result of liver disease on Friday (February 17)

Michael Davis, pictured top left
Photo: Getty

Michael Davis, bass player with seminal garage rockers MC5, has died at the age of 68.

Davis died on Friday (February 17) at the Enloe Medical Center in Chico, California after a month-long battle with liver disease, reports The Associated Press.

Born in 1943, Davis joined MC5 in 1964, replacing the band's original bass player Pat Burrows and he remained with the group until 1972. He played on each of the band's three classic albums, including the extremely influential 'Kick Out The Jams'. He also took part in two short-lived reunions with MC5, first in 2003 and then again in 2005.

The bassist also worked as a producer and was behind the controls for records by the likes of Lords of Altamont, Dollhouse, Tokyo Sex Destruction, and OJM.

In his later years, Davis co-founded the Music Is Revolution Foundation, a non-profit organisation dedicated to supporting music education in schools.

Davis is survived by his wife, their three sons, and a daughter from a previous marriage.

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