Gary Rasmussen, 1950-2024

I'm sitting here at my desk, looking at a picture of Michigan musician Gary Rasmussen with Sonic's Rendezvous Band, on a flyer for a concert recording from 1980 that Easy Action Records released awhile back. News came through this morning that Gary had passed following a short illness. As recently as last Monday, he was onstage in Lansing with the Broken Arrow Blues Band, playing a benefit for the local food bank. I've written about Gary's musical exploits in the '60s and '70s but we never met, except by phone. We were acquainted on social media and I looked forward to seeing his food posts. Thinking now of his longtime partner Marla Swartz and their family. 

Back in the turbulent late '60s, Gary was at the epicenter of Detroit's politicized hip underground, playing bass in the Up with his brother Bob on guitar, Frank Bach on vocals, and Scott Bailey on drums. They were the "house band" for the White Panther Party after the MC5 vacated the position. The Up eventually morphed into Uprising, with future Mitch Ryder drummer Wilson Owens. 

Late in 1976, Gary replaced W.R. (Ron) Cooke as bassist in the aforementioned Sonic's Rendezvous Band, a Detroit supergroup of sorts that also included Fred "Sonic" Smith (MC5) and Scott Morgan (Rationals) splitting guitar and vocal duties and ex-Stooges drummer Scott "Rock Action" Asheton. Their one vinyl release, the single "City Slang," is revered by fans from Sydney to Stockholm as an exemplar of high energy Detroit rock. Although they remained a strictly local phenomenon during their existence, fans traded live tapes for years, and there have been many archival releases in the 21st century. After Fred Smith folded the band in 1980, Gary and Rock continued playing with Morgan as the Scott Morgan Band and Scots Pirates until the late '90s.

Gary, Fred, and Rock backed Iggy Pop on tour in Europe in 1978, and Gary joined Fred in accompanying Fred's wife, Patti Smith, on her 1988 album Dream of Life (which included the durable anthem "People Have the Power"). In the early Aughts, Gary accompanied rocking blues revivalist Alvin Youngblood Hart, recording the album Motivational Speaker with him. (There's video on YouTube of Hart performing the Sonic's Rendezvous Band song "Electrophonic Tonic" with Gary.) 

Gary continued gigging frequently with Michigan rock and blues bands, even after a bout with leukemia. He was a revered elder in the Michigan music community, and a vital link to a crucial moment in social and musical history. Gentle passing to him, and peace and comfort to all who knew him.