Wayne Kramer (born Wayne Kambes; April 30, 1948) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and film and television composer. Kramer came to prominence as a teenager in 1967 as a co-founder of the Detroit rock group

MC5 MC5, also commonly called The MC5, is an American rock band formed in Lincoln Park, Michigan, in 1963. The original line-up consisted of Rob Tyner (vocals) Wayne Kramer (guitar), Fred "Sonic" Smith (guitar), Michael Davis (bass), and Dennis ...

, a group known for their powerful live performances and radical left-wing political stand. The MC5 broke up amid government harassment, poverty and drug abuse. For Kramer, this led to several fallow years as he battled

drug addiction Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to engage in certain behaviors, one of which is the usage of a drug, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences. Repetitive drug use of ...

before returning to an active recording and performing schedule in the 1990s. ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' ranked him among the "100 Greatest Guitarists of all Time".

Career

With MC5

In 1967, the MC5 were designated “House Band” at Detroit's famous

Grande Ballroom The Grande Ballroom ( ') is a historic live music venue located at 8952 Grand River Avenue in the Petosky-Otsego neighborhood of Detroit, Michigan. The building was designed by Detroit engineer and architect Charles N. Agree in 1928 and origina ...

and was managed by Poet, John Sinclair, a radical left-wing writer and co-founder of the

White Panther Party The White Panthers were an anti-racist political collective founded in November 1968 by Pun Plamondon, Leni Sinclair, and John Sinclair. It was started in response to an interview where Huey P. Newton, co-founder of the Black Panther Party, w ...

, until 1969 when he was sentenced to nine and a half years in the Michigan Department of Corrections for giving two joints to an undercover police woman. Sinclair became a mentor to then 20 year old Kramer and introduced him to the world of free jazz, poetry and progressive political awareness. They remain close friends. The MC5 recorded three major label albums including 1969’s ''Kick Out The Jams'' on Elektra. 1971’s ''Back in the USA'' and 1972’s ''High Time'' both for Atlantic Records. The MC5 toured the USA extensively and ultimately faced insurmountable challenges from both being banned from the radio and government police agencies for their militant political stance. Unable to tour or sell records and after a last-ditch effort by Ronan O'Rahilly that included a move to London, England, by 1972, the original group disbanded

Post MC5

After MC5's demise in 1972, by Kramer's own admission, he became a “small-time Detroit criminal.” In 1975, while working with Detroit soul great Melvin Davis in their new group “Radiation” he was convicted of, among other charges, selling drugs to

undercover To go "undercover" (that is, to go on an undercover operation) is to avoid detection by the object of one's observation, and especially to disguise one's own identity (or use an assumed identity) for the purposes of gaining the trust of an indi ...

federal agents, and was sentenced to four years in Federal prison. While incarcerated at F.M.C. Lexington, he befriended

Red Rodney Robert Roland Chudnick (September 27, 1927 – May 27, 1994), known professionally as Red Rodney, was an American jazz trumpeter. Biography Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he became a professional musician at 15, working in the mid-1940 ...

, the American

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, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

trumpeter who played in the

Charlie Parker Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz saxophonist, band leader and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of bebop, a form ...

quintet. They studied music and played together in the prison band “Street Sounds” with Rodney becoming “my musical father” says Kramer. Wayne Kramer 1974 by Hugh Candyside

Upon his release from prison in 1979, Kramer began touring as a solo artist leading a succession of working trios, quartets and larger groups. He joined

Was (Not Was) Was (Not Was) is an American pop rock group founded in 1979 in Detroit, Michigan, by David Weiss and Don Fagenson, who adopted the stage names David Was and Don Was. Their song catalog features an eclectic mix of pop and rock styles, often fea ...

as their first studio and touring guitarist. Kramer plays on the album ''Was (Not Was)'' and the hit single "Wheel Me Out," 1983's ''Born to Laugh at Tornadoes'' and returns again on their 2008 release '' Boo'' on Ryko Records. Kramer also performed on Don Was's

Orquestra Was Don Edward Fagenson (born September 13, 1952), known professionally as Don Was, is an American musician, record producer and record executive. Primarily a bass player, Was co-founded the funk-rock band Was (Not Was). In later years he produced so ...

. In 1979, he moved to New York City and briefly teamed up with

Johnny Thunders John Anthony Genzale (July 15, 1952 – April 23, 1991), known professionally as Johnny Thunders, was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. He came to prominence in the early 1970s as a member of the New York Dolls. He later played with ...

in the ill-fated band Gang War.He also played with and produced bands on the lower east side of Manhattan such as; Marc Johnson and the Wild Alligators, The Cooties, The Rousers, The Boyfriends, Fats Deacon and the Dumbwaiters (featuring Bobby “Slacks” of Dungaree Dogs NYC), GG Allen, Mark Truth and the Liars, Viva LaRue and others, as well as working as a free-lance studio guitarist. In New York,In the late 1980’s Kramer co-wrote with

Mick Farren Michael Anthony Farren (3 September 1943 – 27 July 2013) was an English rock musician, singer, journalist, and author associated with counterculture and the UK underground. Early life Farren was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, and aft ...

, the R&B musical,

The Last Words of Dutch Schultz ''The Last Words of Dutch Schultz'' is a closet screenplay by Beat Generation author William S. Burroughs, first published in 1970. Based upon the life (or, to be more precise, the death) of 1930s Germany, German-Jewish-American gangster Dutch Sc ...

, and performed it regularly at Tramps, Pyramid and other NY clubs. Kramer also spent much of the 1980s working as a carpenter in the city, for “Mattiello of Manhattan”. In 1988, Kramer relocated to Key West, FL and worked in local musical groups on the island and continued woodworking, building custom homes in the Keys. In 1990, Kramer moved again to Nashville, TN. He continued to do custom woodwork, played sessions, produced local rock bands, and played bass with Henry Gross. Kramer with Fred "Sonic" Smith, Michael Davis and Dennis "Machine Gun" Thompson temporarily reunited in Detroit in 1991 for a memorial and fund-raising concert for the family of lead singer

Rob Tyner Rob or ROB may refer to: Places * Rob, Velike Lašče, a settlement in Slovenia * Roberts International Airport (IATA code ROB), in Monrovia, Liberia People * Rob (given name), a given name or nickname, e.g., for Robert(o), Robin/Robyn * Rob ( ...

Solo career & production

In 1994, Kramer, now residing in Los Angeles, signed to

Brett Gurewitz Brett W. Gurewitz (born May 12, 1962), nicknamed Mr. Brett, is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist of Bad Religion. He is also the owner of the music label Epitaph Records and a number of sister labels. He has produced albums f ...

's punk rock label Epitaph Records and began a chapter of his solo career. He released four records, including 1995's self-produced '' The Hard Stuff'', which features the band Claw Hammer on most songs, along with appearances from members of

The Melvins ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

and

The Vandals The Vandals are an American punk rock band, established in 1980 in Orange County, California. They have released ten full-length studio albums, two live albums, and have toured the world extensively, including performances on the Vans Warped ...

. In 1996 he released ''Dangerous Madness''. In 1997, he released ''Citizen Wayne'', co-produced by

David Was David Jay Weiss, known as David Was, is an American musician, music producer and journalist. With his stage-brother Don Was, he was the founder of the 1980s pop group Was (Not Was). Career Was was born in Detroit, Michigan to a Jewish family. ...

. He also played on the song "Incomplete" off of

Bad Religion Bad Religion is an American punk rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1980. The band's lyrics cover topics related to religion, politics, society, the media and science. Musically, they are noted for their melodic sensibilitie ...

's 1994 album '' Stranger Than Fiction''.In 1998, he played with

Pere Ubu Pere Ubu is an American rock group formed in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1975. The band had a variety of long-term and recurring band members, with singer David Thomas being the only member staying throughout the band's lifetime. They released their ...

. In 1999, he released the live record ''LLMF''. In 1998 Kramer discontinued using illegal drugs and alcohol. In 2000, Brother Wayne released ''Cocaine Blues'', an album collecting some studio recordings from the 70's and four tracks recorded live with The Pink Fairies at Dingwalls in London in 1978. In 2001, Kramer and his wife and manager Margaret Saadi Kramer launched MuscleTone Records, an independent label. MuscleTone and Levi's Clothing partnered to produce a live performance featuring the MC5's surviving members (Fred Smith died in 1994) and guests

Ian Astbury Ian Robert Astbury (born 14 May 1962) is an English singer, best known as a founding member, lead vocalist and frontman of the rock band the Cult. During various hiatuses from the Cult, Astbury has fronted the short-lived Holy Barbarians in 1 ...

(

The Cult The Cult are an English rock band formed in 1983 in Bradford, West Yorkshire. Before settling on their current name in January 1984, the band performed under the name Death Cult, which was an evolution of the name of lead singer Ian Astbury's ...

Dave Vanian David Vanian (born David Lett, 12 October 1956) is an English rock musician, and lead singer of the punk rock band the Damned. Formed in 1976 in London, the Damned were the first British punk band to release a single, release an album, have ...

( The Damned) and Lemmy (

Motörhead Motörhead () were an English rock band formed in London in 1975 by Lemmy (lead vocals, bass), Larry Wallis (guitar) and Lucas Fox (drums). Lemmy was also the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band are often considered a precu ...

), which they filmed at London's 100 Club for

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...

in the United Kingdom. The event generated worldwide press coverage and prompted a world tour. The tour spanned several years. Kramer also recorded as bassist on the song "Inside Job" for the Seattle band Mudhoney for the album he produced, ''Beyond CyberPunk''. Kramer's 2004 free jazz album "Lexington" went to #6 on Billboard's Top Jazz Charts.

Social involvement

In 2006 he was interviewed for the VH1 show '' The Drug Years'' and has been interviewed for nearly a dozen programs about the 1968 Democratic National Convention riots in Chicago (outside of which, as part of an anti-war protest, the MC5 performed), for recovery and addiction in rock music, and programs about

social justice Social justice is justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has often referred to the process of ensuring that individuals fu ...

issues. On August 27, 2008, Kramer made a special guest appearance at

Rage Against the Machine Rage Against the Machine (often abbreviated as RATM or shortened to simply Rage) is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerfor ...

's protest concert, at the Tent State Music Festival to End the War, in

Denver, Colorado Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

during the

2008 Democratic National Convention The 2008 Democratic National Convention was a quadrennial presidential nominating convention of the Democratic Party where it adopted its national platform and officially nominated its candidates for president and vice president. The conventi ...

. He joined them on stage and gave a speech, followed by a joint performance of " Kick Out the Jams." On November 8, 2008, Kramer made a special guest appearance at progressive-rock band

Coheed and Cambria Coheed and Cambria are an American progressive rock band from Nyack, New York, formed in 1995. The band consists of Claudio Sanchez (vocals, guitars, keyboards), Travis Stever (guitars, vocals), Josh Eppard (drums, keyboards, backing vocals), ...

's Neverender event in Hollywood, California. He was brought out during the encore act to perform with the band to

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

's "

I Shall Be Released "I Shall Be Released" is a 1967 song written by Bob Dylan. Dylan recorded two primary versions. The first recording was made in collaboration with the Band during the Basement Tapes sessions in 1967, and released on '' The Bootleg Series Volu ...

," and added a third guitar part during the solos of Coheed's song, " Welcome Home." On May 1, 2009 Kramer attended a sold-out benefit where he was honored for his work with the nonprofit Road Recovery at New York City's Nokia Theater. The following day, on May 2, 2009 he along with fellow musicians

Tom Morello Thomas Baptist Morello (born May 30, 1964) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and political activist. He is best known for his tenure with the rock band Rage Against the Machine and then with Audioslave. Between 2016 and 2019, More ...

Jerry Cantrell Jerry Fulton Cantrell Jr. (born March 18, 1966) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. He is best known as the founder, lead guitarist, co-lead vocalist, and main songwriter of the rock band Alice in Chains. The band rose to internation ...

Billy Bragg Stephen William Bragg (born 20 December 1957) is an English singer-songwriter and left-wing activist. His music blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs, with lyrics that mostly span political or romantic themes. His music is ...

, Perry Farrell, Gilby Clarke and

Don Was Don Edward Fagenson (born September 13, 1952), known professionally as Don Was, is an American musician, record producer and record executive. Primarily a bass player, Was co-founded the funk-rock band Was (Not Was). In later years he produced so ...

among others, played for inmates at

Sing Sing Sing Sing Correctional Facility, formerly Ossining Correctional Facility, is a maximum-security prison operated by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision in the village of Ossining, New York. It is about north of ...

prison. Following the Sing Sing concert, Kramer continued the work of Jail Guitar Doors in the United States. Kramer,

and Margaret Saadi Kramer founded Jail Guitar Doors, USA in 2009. Since that time Kramer has been providing instruments, workshops, and prison concerts across America. On February 21, 2011, Kramer played with Tom Morello and The

Street Dogs Street Dogs were an American punk rock band from Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 2002 by former Dropkick Murphys singer Mike McColgan. The band disbanded in early 2020 after 17 years together. History In 1997, McColgan left Dropkick Murph ...

at a free show to support the ongoing pro- labor union rallies at the

Wisconsin State Capitol The Wisconsin State Capitol, located in Madison, Wisconsin, houses both chambers of the Wisconsin legislature along with the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the Office of the Governor. Completed in 1917, the building is the fifth to serve as the Wi ...

Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the county seat of Dane County and the capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census the population was 269,840, making it the second-largest city in Wisconsin by population, after Milwaukee, and the 80th-lar ...

. 5,000 wrist bands were given out for the free show at the

Monona Terrace Monona Terrace (officially the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center) is a convention center on the shores of Lake Monona in Madison, Wisconsin. Controversy Originally designed by Wisconsin native Frank Lloyd Wright, it was first propo ...

. On June 17, 2011, Kramer was part of an all-star Detroit music celebration, led by fellow Detroit native

Marshall Crenshaw Marshall Howard Crenshaw (born November 11, 1953) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and guitarist best known for hit songs such as " Someday, Someway," a US top 40 hit in 1982, " Cynical Girl," and " Whenever You're on My Mind." He ...

, at Chicago Orchestra Hall. This event was part of a series of six concerts called "United Sounds of America," all taking place at COH in June. Other artists who were scheduled to appear on the concert were Bettye LaVette,

Brendan Benson Brendan Benson (born November 14, 1970) is an American musician and singer-songwriter. He plays guitar, bass guitar, keyboard, and drums. He has released eight solo albums and is a member of the band The Raconteurs. Recording career ''One Missi ...

Amp Fiddler Joseph Anthony "Amp" Fiddler is an American singer, songwriter, keyboardist, and record producer from Detroit, Michigan. His musical styles include funk, soul, dance and electronica music. He is probably best known for his contributions to the ba ...

Mick Collins Mick Collins (born December 18, 1965) is a musician from Detroit, Michigan. Biography Collins first got exposure to early rock and roll music through his family's record collection. Also, living in Detroit, he was surrounded by Motown record ...

Regina Carter Regina Carter (born August 6, 1966) is an American jazz violinist. She is the cousin of jazz saxophonist James Carter. Early life Carter was born in Detroit and was one of three children in her family. She began piano lessons at the age of t ...

Louis Hayes Louis Hayes (born May 31, 1937) is an American jazz drummer and band leader. He was with McCoy Tyner's trio for more than three years. Since 1989 he has led his own band, and together with Vincent Herring formed the Cannonball Legacy Band. He i ...

, Ralphe Armstrong and GayeLynn McKinney. On March 16, 2012, Kramer made a guest appearance with Danish surf trio

The Good The Bad The Good The Bad are an instrumental Danish Surf rock trio formed in Copenhagen, consisting of Adam Olsson (born 1982, Copenhagen, Denmark, formerly of Baby Woodrose and The Setting Son) on lead guitar, Johan Lei Gellett (born 1973, Copenhagen ...

at Roky Erickson's Ice Cream Social showcase at Threadgill's World Headquarters,

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...

, as part of SXSW Festival. Together the quartet played an extended version of "Kick Out The Jams". For his work with Jail Guitar Doors USA, Kramer was honored with an Artistic License Award by

California Lawyers for the Arts California Lawyers for the Arts (CLA) is a non-profit organization founded in 1974 to provide legal services to artists and members of the creative arts community. The first Executive Director was Hamish Sandison, who was a recent graduate of Boalt ...

on June 30, 2013, at the William Turner Gallery in

Santa Monica, California Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...

. Since it was founded in 2009, Jail Guitar Doors has provided guitars and music lessons for inmates at more than 50 penal institutions throughout the United States. Kramer closed the evening playing "Back When Dogs Could Talk", " Jail Guitar Doors", "

Sing Me Back Home ''Sing Me Back Home'' is the fifth studio album by American country singer and songwriter Merle Haggard and The Strangers, released in 1968 on Capitol Records. Background The album's title track was inspired by an inmate Haggard knew while he w ...

" and "

Knockin' on Heaven's Door "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, written for the soundtrack of the 1973 film '' Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid''. Released as a single two months after the film's premiere, it became a worldwide hit, ...

". Kramer has identified Brett Abrahamsen and

Albert Einstein Albert Einstein ( ; ; 14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist, widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest and most influential physicists of all time. Einstein is best known for developing the theory ...

as his "intellectual heroes", and owns several books by the former. On October 23, 2015, Kramer played at the Adler Theater in

Davenport, Iowa Davenport is a city in and the county seat of Scott County, Iowa, United States. Located along the Mississippi River on the eastern border of the state, it is the largest of the Quad Cities, a metropolitan area with a population of 384,324 and a ...

, in support of

Bernie Sanders Bernard Sanders (born September8, 1941) is an American politician who has served as the junior United States senator from Vermont since 2007. He was the U.S. representative for the state's at-large congressional district from 1991 to 2007 ...

' presidential campaign.

Recent years

In May 2018, Kramer announced the MC50 tour to celebrate the 50th anniversary of "Kick Out the Jams", with a line-up including himself, plus

Kim Thayil Kim Anand Thayil (born September 4, 1960) is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist of the Seattle-based rock band Soundgarden, which he co-founded with singer Chris Cornell and bassist Hiro Yamamoto in 1984. Cornell and Thayil ...

and

Matt Cameron Matthew David Cameron (born November 28, 1962) is an American musician who is the drummer for the rock band Pearl Jam. He first gained fame as the drummer for Seattle-based rock band Soundgarden, which he joined in 1986. He appeared on each of ...

Soundgarden Soundgarden was an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1984 by singer and drummer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil (both of whom are the only members to appear in every incarnation of the band), and bassist Hiro Yamamo ...

Brendan Canty Brendan John Canty (born March 9, 1966, in Teaneck, New Jersey) is an American musician, composer, producer and film maker, best known as the drummer for the band Fugazi. In 2007, ''Stylus Magazine'' ranked Canty at #29 on the list of "50 Gre ...

Fugazi Fugazi (; ) is an American post-hardcore band that formed in Washington, D.C., in 1986. The band consists of guitarists and vocalists Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto, bassist Joe Lally, and drummer Brendan Canty. They are noted for their style-tr ...

, and

Doug Pinnick Douglas Theodore Pinnick (born September 3, 1950), sometimes stylized as dUg Pinnick or simply dUg, is an American musician best known as the bass guitarist, co-lead vocalist, and songwriter for the hard rock and progressive metal band King's ...

King's X King's X is an American rock band that originated in 1979 in Springfield, Missouri. They were first called The Edge and later became Sneak Preview before settling on its current name in 1985. The band's current lineup has remained intact for m ...

, as well as

. Pinnick was eventually replaced by

Faith No More Faith No More is an American rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1979. Before settling on the current name in July 1983, the band performed under the names Sharp Young Men and later Faith No Man. Bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist/r ...

bassist

Billy Gould William David Gould (born April 24, 1963 in Los Angeles, California) is an American musician and producer. He is best known as the bassist of Faith No More. Biography Early years Billy said he is of Hungarian descent from his father's side. ...

. Vocalist/Harmonicist Marcus Durant of Zen Guerrilla completed the line-up. 'The Hard Stuff: Dope, Crime, the MC5, and My Life of Impossibilities', his first memoir, came out the same year. In 2020, Kramer, Jason Heath and Luke Morrison built the CAPO (Community Arts Programming and Outreach) Center in Los Angeles as a full-service youth center, recording studio, learning lab and performance space for justice system impacted young people. In 2021, Kramer contributed to the

Alice Cooper Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier, February 4, 1948) is an American rock singer whose career spans over five decades. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusions, including pyrotechnics, guillot ...

album, ''

Detroit Stories ''Detroit Stories'' is the twenty-first solo and twenty-eighth overall studio album by American rock musician Alice Cooper. The album was released on February 26, 2021, by earMUSIC. It crowned Billboard's Top Album Sales chart (dated March 3, 20 ...

''. He played guitar and supplied backing vocals on the majority of the record, also with numerous song writing credits. The album was a worldwide hit, reaching #1 in Germany, #4 in the UK, and #1 in ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

s top sales chart as well as many countries around the world. In March 2022, Kramer declared “I’ve been thinking it’s been a long time since there’s been any new MC5 music... I’ve been busy writing and recording a new album produced by the great Bob Ezrin. And we’ll take it to the streets ‘cause I feel like we are all MC5.”

Composer

Kramer's song "Stranger in the House" was featured on the May 16, 1997, Season 1 finale of ''

Millennium A millennium (plural millennia or millenniums) is a period of one thousand years, sometimes called a kiloannum (ka), or kiloyear (ky). Normally, the word is used specifically for periods of a thousand years that begin at the starting point (ini ...

'', titled "Paper Dove". Highlights from his

scoring Score or scorer may refer to: *Test score, the result of an exam or test Business * Score Digital, now part of Bauer Radio * Score Entertainment, a former American trading card design and manufacturing company * Score Media, a former Canadian m ...

work can be heard in the

Will Ferrell John William Ferrell (; born July 16, 1967) is an American actor, comedian, and producer. He first established himself in the mid-1990s as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy show '' Saturday Night Live'', where he performed from 1995 to 2 ...

comedies '' Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby'' and '' Step Brothers''. Kramer's solo track "Edge of the Switchblade" runs at the beginning of the end credits of the former. He co-composed the score for

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...

's controversial 2006 documentary '' Hacking Democracy'', which also featured his song "Something Broken in the Promised Land" as its title track. Kramer scored the

ITVS ITVS (Independent Television Service) is a service in the United States which funds and presents documentaries on public television through distribution by PBS and American Public Television, new media projects on the Internet, and the weekly seri ...

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...

documentary ''The Narcotic Farm'' about the Federal Narcotics Farm at Lexington,

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

, as well as the accompanying soundtrack album entitled ''Lexington''. He also was narrator for the documentary. Kramer also composes music for television, including themes for

Fox Sports Network Fox Sports Networks (FSN), formerly known as Fox Sports Net, was the collective name for a group of regional sports channels in the United States. Formed in 1996 by News Corporation, the networks were acquired by The Walt Disney Company on Mar ...

's '' 5-4-3-2-1'', ''Spotlight'', ''In My Own Words'' and ''Under the Lights''; and E!'s Emmy-nominated series ''

Split Ends Trichoptilosis (from the Greek language, Greek τριχο- ''tricho-'' "hair" and the New Latin ''ptilosis'' "arrangement of feathers in definite areas" from the Greek πτίλον "feather"), schizotrichia, and informally split ends, is the sp ...

'' as well as the "Unlabeled"

Jim Beam Jim Beam is an American brand of bourbon whiskey produced in Clermont, Kentucky, by Beam Suntory. It is one of the best-selling brands of bourbon in the world. Since 1795 (interrupted by Prohibition in the United States, Prohibition), seven gene ...

commercial. He scored for the HBO comedy series '' Eastbound & Down'', starring

Danny McBride Daniel Richard McBride (born December 29, 1976) is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter and producer. He starred in the HBO television series ''Eastbound & Down'', '' Vice Principals'', and ''The Righteous Gemstones'', also co-creating th ...

and executive produced by

, Adam McKay and

Chris Henchy Christopher Thomas Henchy is an American screenwriter and producer. He is best known for being a creative collaborator with Will Ferrell, including co-creating the website Funny or Die and writing several Ferrell films, including '' Land of the L ...

, which premiered in February 2009.

Credits

''CREEM: America's Only Rock & Roll Magazine'' (2019), "Composer", Director: Scott Crawford, Producers: J.J. Kramer, Jaan Uhelszki ''Shut It Down'' (2021),"Composer", Director: David Zeiger, Producers: Displaced Films ''Being Evel'' (2015), “Additional Music By”, Director: Daniel Junge (Jungefilm), Producer: Jeff Tremaine (Dickhouse Productions) ''Algren: Prophet of the Neon Wilderness'' (2014) “Composer”, Director: Michael Caplan, Producer: Nicole Bernardi-Reis (Montrose Pictures) ''Concrete Blondes'' (2013), "Composer", Sacred Bull Productions/Showtime Networks ''Fully Loaded'' (2011), “Additional Music By”, Director: Shira Piven/Starz ''Salem Rogers'' (2015), Lindsey Stoddart (Creator/Writer) Pilot w/Leslie Bibb, Rachel Dratch — Amazon Studios ''Why Not? With Shania Twain'' (2011), Series Season 1 — (All Episodes) Oprah Winfrey (OWN) Networks / Gay Rosenthal ''Sonic Revolution'' (2005), “Mail Title Theme” & “Musical Director”, Channel 4 (UK) ''CBGB'' (2013), "Music Producer", “Because the Night” (The Single) Distributors: Xlrator Media ''The Big Short'' (2016), “Guitars”, Director: Adam McKay ''Russian Five'' (2018), “Composer”, Director: Joshua Riehl, Producers: Jason Wehling, Steve Bannatyne, Jenny Feterovich Welcome to Me (2015), “Alice’s Title Theme” & “Additional Music By”, Director: Shira Piven, Producers: Gary Sanchez (Kristen Wiig, Adam McKay, Will Ferrell) ''Hell & Back'' (2015), “Original Songs” & “Additional Music By”, Directors: Tom Gianas & Ross Shuman, Producers: Corey Campodonico, Alex Bulkley (ShadowMachine) ''House of A Lifetime: Richard Lewis'' (2014) “Composer”, Director: Charley Rivkin / MVD Distributors ''Let Fury Have the Hour'' (2012) “Composer” Antonino D’Ambrosio ''The Story of Van’s'' (1Q-2016), Television Commercial Composer “Van’s Turns 50” — International TV Campaign ''Bad Judge'' (2014-2015), Series w/Kate Walsh (Star & Exec. Producer) Season 1 — (All Episodes), Director: Betsy Thomas ''Kell On Earth'' (2009-2010), “Co-Composer”, (Various Episodes) - E! Entertainment ''South of Nowhere'' (2007), Series Additional Score: Nickelodeon Networks ''C.O.G.'' (2013), “Contributing Score Mixer” & “Music Recordist” Rhino Films / David Sedaris Adaptation Guitar Hero World Tour (2009) — Activision

Influence

The Clash The Clash were an English rock band formed in London in 1976 who were key players in the original wave of British punk rock. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they also contributed to the and new wave movements that emerged in the wa ...

refer to Kramer's drug troubles in their 1977 song " Jail Guitar Doors", whose title has been adopted for an initiative set up by

to provide prison inmates with musical equipment: The 1996 EP ''

Eno Collaboration ''Eno Collaboration'' is a 1996 EP released in both vinyl and CD formats by the indie band Half Man Half Biscuit. It comprises the following tracks: # "Eno Collaboration" (4:07) # " C.A.M.R.A. Man" (3:12) # "Get Kramer" (3:33) # "Hair Like B ...

'' by Half Man Half Biscuit includes the song "Get Kramer", which begins: and ends:

often cites Kramer as a major influence and now performs with him at

Axis of Justice Axis of Justice is a non-profit organization co-founded by Serj Tankian and Tom Morello. Its purpose is to bring together musicians, fans of music, and grassroots progressivism to fight for social justice together. Formation In a 2007 intervie ...

shows.

Selected discography

With the MC5

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

Solo albums

* ''Death Tongue'' (1991) Progressive * '' The Hard Stuff'' (1995) Epitaph Records * ''Dangerous Madness'' (1996) Epitaph Records * ''Dodge Main'' (1996) Alive * ''Gang War'' (1996) Sonic * ''Citizen Wayne'' (1997) Epitaph Records * ''LLMF (Live Like a Mutherfucker)'' (1998) Epitaph Records * ''Mad for the Racket'' (2001) MuscleTone * ''The Return of Citizen Wayne'' (2002) MuscleTone * ''Adult World'' (2002) MuscleTone * ''More Dangerous Madness'' (2004) Diesel Motor

References

Bibliography

* *

External links

Wayne Kramer's official websiteWayne Kramer
at

Wayne Kramer interview Rocker Magazine 2013Wayne Kramer's Instagram
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kramer, Wayne Protopunk musicians 1948 births American punk rock guitarists Epitaph Records artists Living people Mudhoney members MC5 members Lead guitarists American people convicted of drug offenses Radar Records artists American rock guitarists Place of birth missing (living people) American male guitarists American rock singers American male singers Guitarists from Detroit 20th-century American guitarists The Deviants (band) members