Music
Dennis Thompson
1948–2024 · drummer
“Machine Gun” Thompson, the Detroit-born drummer of the MC5, whose rapid-fire attack powered the band and who was its last surviving original member.
- Born
Detroit, Michigan- Died
Taylor, Michigan
aged 75- Birth name
- Dennis Andrew Tomich
- Also known as
- Machine Gun
- Detroit years
- 1948–2024
- Field
- Music
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
Dennis Thompson was born Dennis Tomich in Detroit and joined the MC5 by 1965, completing the classic lineup with Rob Tyner, Wayne Kramer, Fred “Sonic” Smith and Michael Davis. His fast, hard-hitting style earned him the nickname “Machine Gun”, after the Thompson submachine gun, and it drove the band's legendary sets as house band at the Grande Ballroom, where Kick Out the Jams was recorded live in 1968. He stayed until the group fell apart in the early 1970s, then kept playing in Michigan bands including the New Order with Ron Asheton, New Race, the Motor City Bad Boys and the Secrets. From 2003 to 2012 he toured with Kramer and Davis as DKT/MC5. He spent his life in the Detroit area and died in Downriver Taylor in May 2024, weeks after a heart attack, as the last surviving original member of the MC5, the same year the band entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Highlights
- MC5 drummer from 1965 to the band's breakup
- Played on Kick Out the Jams (1969), recorded live at the Grande Ballroom
- Toured with DKT/MC5 (2003–2012)
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the MC5 (2024)
02 / Their Detroit places
Their Detroit places 1
Where they lived, worked, performed and liked to hang out. Closed and demolished places stay here too, because they are part of the city's history.
Performed here · 1967–1969
Grande Ballroom
Closed · 1928–1972
The MC5's home stage, where Kick Out the Jams was recorded live in October 1968. The building stands vacant and is on the National Register of Historic Places.