Wayne Kramer is a renowned songwriter, producer, and composer, widely recognized for his exceptional guitar playing skills. Rolling Stone Magazine has listed him as one of the top 100 guitarists of all time. His compositions and guitar playing can be heard in various projects, including the upcoming Will Ferrell comedy "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" for Sony Pictures.
On television, Wayne has created title themes for Fox Sports Network's extreme sports program 5-4-3-2-1, as well as Spotlight, In My Own Words, and Under the Lights. He has also built a catalog of cues for their network library throughout 2005 and 2006.
Wayne's songs have been featured in a wide range of shows, including MTV's Jackass series, Judging Amy for 20th Century Fox TV, and Chris Carter's Fox series Millennium. His music is also regularly heard in NFL, NBA, and MLB Playoff events, as well as BMX extreme videos and many Food Network productions.
In addition to his work in television, Wayne's songs can be heard in various feature films, including Cameron Crowe's Almost Famous, the Ramones' Rock 'n' Roll High School, October Films' action film Detour, Mary Harron's I Shot Andy Warhol, and Pump Up the Volume starring Christian Slater.
Wayne founded the MC5, widely recognized as the prototype for punk rock and heavy metal. In 1969, they released the album Kick Out The Jams on Elektra Records, which included the hit of the same name. After leaving Elektra, they released two albums on Atlantic Records, Back In The USA and High Time.
Wayne spent the 1980s in New York City, where he teamed up with Johnny Thunders for a short-lived but headline-grabbing punk rock supergroup Gang War. He also co-wrote the acclaimed R&B musical The Last Words of Dutch Schultz with Mick Farren and co-founded the revolutionary acid funk outfit Was (Not Was) with David and Don Was.
Wayne moved to Los Angeles in 1994 and signed with Epitaph Records, releasing four records in as many years. He also produced and co-wrote the album Full Circle with John Sinclair and His Blues Scholars and produced a retrospective collection for Rhino Records entitled The Big Bang: Best of the MC5.
In 2001, Wayne launched MuscleTone Records, releasing his own album Adult World in 2002. He also music-directed a performance for the DVD Sonic Revolution: A Celebration of the MC5 and produced a 30-minute documentary of that reunion performance, which was broadcast on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom in 2004.
Today, Wayne runs the label, tours the world as a musician, speaker, and activist, and regularly writes with and produces upstart rock 'n' roll bands.
