The Encyclopedia of Dead Rock Stars (166 page)

One of the most notable aspects of the Vancouver underground scene was the band–instrument trading that seemed to take place ad infini-tum. A former member of fondly remembered band The Skulls, Ken Montgomery was one of a number of drummers to pass through the ranks of Canadian punks DOA (Dead On Arrival). ‘Dimwit’ – as he was widely known – joined the band at the suggestion of his younger brother Charles (aka ‘Chuck Biscuits’), himself a founder percussionist of the band. The two brothers – a third brother was DOA’s roadie – spent time behind the traps of several Vancouver punk bands, The Pointed Sticks, Subhumans and Victorian Pork among them. By far the leaders of the scene, though, were DOA, who could claim fans in Nirvana, who opened for them at a 1989 Seattle gig.

‘Dimwit’ Montgomery had a couple of spells as DOA’s drummer before turning down the opportunity to join thrash-rockers Slayer to form his own band, The Four Horsemen. He was no junkie, but had developed an escalating heroin habit by the time of his death. Having purchased a near-100-per-cent-pure batch of China White, the drummer overdosed almost immediately in his bedroom. ‘Dimwit’ was apparently buried with his favourite sweater, his drumsticks and a cookie. Within months, though, DOA – who had already seen early bassist Simon Wilde die of a brain tumour – were dealing with a third tragedy: the appalling death of yet another drummer, Ken Jensen
(
January 1995).

OCTOBER

Thursday 27

Robert White

(Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, 19 November 1936)

The Funk Brothers

(Various acts)

An early member of Motown’s classic inhouse band, guitarist Robert White had started as a touring musician with Harvey Fuqua’s pioneering vocal line-up The Moonglows. Poached by Berry Gordy, White soon fell in with a host of great musicians as the Funk Brothers, the band essentially formed to back groups like The Four Tops. He was never to achieve the status of ‘Benny’ Benjamin, ‘Jamie’ Jamerson and Earl Van Dyke, but White was a feature of the set-up until 1972, when Gordy shifted Motown’s offices to Los Angeles. Like most of his fellow musicians, White remained very much in the background, only emerging for a Temptations reunion several years before his death during open heart surgery.

See also
‘Benny’ Benjamin (
May 1969); James ‘Jamie’ Jamerson (
August 1983); Earl Van Dyke (
September 1992); Uriel Jones (
Golden Oldies #88). Other occasional Funk Brothers Eddie ‘Bongo’ Brown (1984), ‘Pistol’ Allen and Johnny Griffith (both 2002) have also died, as did early pianist Joe Hunter (2007).

‘It’s a lesson to people who might think heroin is a fun thing. It’s a stupid, bloody horrible thing.’

Joey ‘Shithead’ Keithley, singer, DOA

NOVEMBER

Friday 4

Fred ‘Sonic’ Smith

(West Virginia, 13 September 1949)

The MC5

Sonic’s Rendezvous Band

An undisputed prime architect of punk’s visceral noise, MC5 founder Fred ‘Sonic’ Smith traded licks with Wayne Kramer, the pair creating one of the most dynamic guitar partnerships rock has seen. Arriving in Detroit – to the awakening strains of Motown – the rebellious Smith was soon kicked out of the very junior high at which he and Kramer first planned their musical diversion. They were tight musicians, but as The Bounty Hunters the pair ploughed few original lyrical avenues until the recruitment of bassist/lead singer Rob Tyner; as The MC5 the band gelled into a unit most still call ‘the best band you never saw’. Adopted as mascot by the vehemently anti-government White Panther Party (their influence on punk was not purely in sound), The MC5 developed a distinct reputation as underground rock bad boys, their milestone first record,
Kick out the Jams
(1969), putting the polemic on to vinyl. But, with stage stunts such as the burning of the US flag, they found it hard to secure gigs anywhere – and record sales suffered accordingly. A less militant second record,
Back in the USA
(1970), unfortunately presaged a split within the ranks. Smith had now become the main songwriter, the subject matter shifting to the less cerebral. After one further collection, The MC5 disbanded. The post-MC5 ‘Sonic’ Smith was altogether quieter, but put together a new act, The Rendezvous Band, which, although nowhere near as influential as his first, was still a pretty decisive unit. This was very much a Detroit supergroup, comprising The Rationals’ Scott Morgan, former Stooges drummer Scott ‘Rock Action’ Asheton and bassist Gary Rasmussen of Up. The guitarist then chanced upon rising newwave poet Patti Smith at a party in Coney Island in 1976 – ‘The Smiths’ went on to become one of rock’s cooler married couples in 1980, then surprised many by retiring from music to raise two children. Smith did, however, write most of his wife’s quiet 1988 comeback album,
Dream Of Life,
though by now the harder living of his youth was beginning to take its toll on the guitarist’s health. He was not alone: Rob Tyner’s unexpected passing
(
September 1991
) prompted Smith and other former MC5ers to perform in tribute to their former singer.

But within three years Smith too was dead. Patti Smith was utterly devastated by the death of her husband from heart failure in a Detroit hospital; the grieving singer relocated to New York.

MC5 bassist Michael Davis died in February 2012.

Wednesday 16

Dino Valenti

(Chester Powers - Danbury, Connecticut, 7 November 1943)