Wayne Kramer

Article summary

Wayne Stanley Kramer (born Kambes; April 30, 1948 – February 2, 2024) was an American musician, songwriter, producer, and film and television composer. Kramer came to prominence in the 1960s as the lead guitarist of the Detroit rock band MC5. Kramer and guitarist Fred "Sonic" Smith co-founded the MC5 in 1963, with vocalist Rob Tyner, bassist Michael Davis, and drummer Dennis Thompson joining shortly after. The MC5 became known for their powerful live performances and radical left-wing political stance. The group broke up amid government harassment, poverty, and drug abuse. For Kramer, this led to several fallow years as he battled drug addiction before returning to an active recording and performing schedule in the 1990s. In 2009, Kramer founded the independent initiative Jail Guitar Doors, USA with Billy Bragg and Margaret Saadi Kramer. The project was named after a song by The Clash, which the band had written as the B-side of "Clash City Rockers" in dedication to Kramer and to raise awareness of his term in prison. The song opens with the lines "Let me tell you 'bout Wayne and his deals of cocaine", which is a reference to Wayne Kramer's imprisonment. Rolling Stone ranked him among the "100 Greatest Guitarists of all Time".

Key claims

1. date of birth: 1948-04-30 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
2. date of birth: 1948-04-30 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
3. date of birth: 2008 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
4. date of birth: 1983 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
5. date of foundation: 1963 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
6. date of foundation: 2009 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
7. date of foundation: 2009 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
8. release date: 2009-05-01 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95

Discussion questions

1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
2. The record states that the date of birth is "1948-04-30". What evidence would count against this claim?
3. The record states that the date of birth is "1948-04-30". What evidence would count against this claim?
4. The record states that the date of birth is "2008". What evidence would count against this claim?
5. The record states that the date of birth is "1983". What evidence would count against this claim?
6. The record states that the date of foundation is "1963". What evidence would count against this claim?
7. The record states that the date of foundation is "2009". What evidence would count against this claim?
8. The record states that the date of foundation is "2009". What evidence would count against this claim?
9. The record states that the release date is "2009-05-01". What evidence would count against this claim?
10. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
11. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

1. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1371797238