Rockobit: Michael Davis

Michael Davis, MC5 bassist, has died.

Although not part of the original line-up, Davis had joined the band before the recording of the debut (and, to be fair, career-peak) album Kick Out The James.

Davis had been part of the reunited band, but after a back injury following a 2006 bike smash had been concentrating on a non-profit project to bring music to school children and various art collaborations. He seemed to be really content with his life - he'd last updated his Facebook page's 'about' section to read "Happy in His Universe" and in 2010 gave an interview to Oregon Music News where he revelled in his home in the state:

Still being alive, in relatively good health, it’s kind of amazing. It definitely took its toll. I don’t fool with substances or anything anymore. I don’t smoke, none of it. It’s pretty amazing. There have been some dark moments for sure. I was pretty fortunate I wound up with a family, a group of people who need me and who I need me. We function as a little solar unit. Life is good. We arrived in the state of Oregon, and I’ve been doing some research on the history of the Oregon Trail, the people who came out here, and the general origin of the land. It was quite formidable, the amount of bravery it took for the people who came. It’s a really wonderful place. The people here have a lot of the values I’ve been looking for, a community that is aware of ecology and resources, avoiding that whole mass marketing thing that’s everywhere. We really like it here.

He'd been unwell with liver disease for a month; he died on Monday from liver failure.