Gary Rasmussen – A Musical Life

Gary Rasmussen aged 73, of Howell, Michigan passed away from complications due that developed into bacterial meningitis on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 28, 2024, at University of Michigan Hospital, Ann Arbor.

Gary leaves behind the love of his life, partner and best friend Marla Swartz, stepdaughters Keira (Sammar) Faraj and Chaely Chartier, brother Robert (Marlene) Rasmussen, sister Linda Rasmussen, loving family members, friends, and hundreds of musicians with whom he wrote, recorded, produced, and played music with throughout his lifetime.

He was preceded in death by his loving parents Leslie J. and Dorthea (nee Snider) Rasmussen and sister-in-law Marlene Betsch-Rasmussen.

Born January 7, 1952, in Detroit, Michigan, Gary attended Cooley High School and spent over 60 years as a revered and respected musician and producer. Gary and his older brother Bob started playing music at a young age. By their teens they formed their first bands (Galaxy 5, Citations, Brand X) and performed at sock hops, roller rinks, teen clubs, and high schools in and around Detroit, Port Huron, Ann Arbor, and Ontario, Canada.

During the late 60s, Gary and his brother started hanging out at the infamous counterculture club The Grande Ballroom where they met Hiawatha Bailey, Gary Grimshaw, Scott Morgan, John Sinclair, and members of the MC5. They continually inspired one another and were inspired by the music at The Grande. More importantly, they all became lifelong friends.

After his brother moved to the famed Artist Workshop commune in Detroit, Gary followed soon after. Then they moved to the Hill House commune in Ann Arbor, living with housemates Dave Sinclair, John and Leni Sinclair (founders of the Hill House commune, Rainbow People’s Party and White Panther Party), Lawrence “Pun” and Genie Plamondon, political activist Hiawatha Bailey, legendary rock poster artist Gary Grimshaw, and members of the MC5 and the Psychedelic Stooges. In addition to living in an activist/musical environment, Gary found his love for cooking while helping prepare macrobiotic meals for the growing commune, where they established the People’s Food Co-op, still in existence today.

Influenced heavily by the MC5, the brothers formed the psychedelic/punk band The UP with Gary on bass, his brother Bob on guitar, Frank Bach on vocals, and Scott Bailey on drums. House band for the White Panther Party, they recorded their first album “Just Like an Aborigine” at the SRC (short for “Scot Richard Case”) band’s studio in Ann Arbor and began performing in clubs all over the Midwest.

In 1970, The UP joined The Stooges and Teegarden & Van Winkle at Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor for Timothy Leary’s benefit to “Free John Sinclair and all Political Prisoners and End Marijuana Prohibition” which was organized to call out the absurdity of the ten year prison sentence Sinclair was serving for possession of two joints.  Sinclair was a dear friend to Gary, and known as a counterculture poet, pothead, cultural revolutionary, and Chairman of the Rainbow People’s Party.

Gary and his friends, as well as beat poet Alan Ginsburg and John Lennon and Yoko Ono,  rallied around Sinclair. A concert known as the Free John Now Rally also known as the John Sinclair Freedom Rally was planned in December of 1971 in Ann Arbor to raise awareness for the injustice. The show was a who’s who of the time featuring national and local artists. The UP performed on the bill with John Lennon & Yoko Ono, Bob Seger, Stevie Wonder, Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen, and many more acts at Ann Arbor’s Crisler Arena. The show raised consciousness about the absurdity of Sinclair’s ten-year prison sentence with over 15,000 people attending the event. Three days later, Michigan’s Supreme Court released Sinclair and overturned his conviction. This was a pivotal moment for the counterculture movement and one Gary spoke of as a moment of cultural change over the years.

The UP eventually morphed into UPRISING, and after it disbanded in the 70s, Gary joined the supergroup Sonic’s Rendezvous formed with Fred “Sonic” Smith (MC5) on guitar, Scott Morgan (Rationals) on vocals, Scott “Rock Action” Asheton (Stooges) on drums. After Sonic’s Rendezvous, Gary played with Iggy Pop on his ’78 European Tour, and joined the Scott Morgan Band, Scots Pirates, and others through the 80s and 90s.

During this time, he also worked as a sound man at the Blind Pig supporting loads of musicians when he was off the road. He also had a stint repairing brass instruments at Carty’s in Ann Arbor for about a decade between tours.

Around this time, the Detroit Music Awards were founded and Gary received multiple nominations and awards across multiple categories recognizing his talent and musical contributions throughout his life.

When Fred “Sonic” Smith married singer-songwriter, poet, and visual artist Patti Smith, Gary was called on to perform and record with them from time to time. Most notably, he played on Patti’s 1988 album Dream of Life. Gary also was close with Patti, becoming her confidant and helping her with many local shows after Fred’s death before she returned to New York to continue her long, illustrious career. Those shows funded the Mariners crosses dedicated to Fred that hang on the front of the Mariners church on Jefferson Avenue in Detroit.

Concurrently, blues music really found its way into the mainstream, gaining wider recognition and appreciation. Gary began working with Detroit blues musicians Harmonica Shah, Steve Nardella and George Bedard, and did a short stint with Louisiana bluesman Bobby Rush in addition to pick up gigs with touring blues musicians coming through Detroit.

During the 90s, Gary met Marla Swartz, who was working as a booking agent. Her company Eldar Entertainment was responsible for booking festivals and clubs all over the Midwest. It was also the era of MTV Unplugged and Gary found himself shifting styles performing with hundreds of Detroit musicians playing a variety of genres; blues, country, acoustic rock, folk rock, Americana, jazz, rock and meditational, while still maintaining occasional dates with his Ann Arbor bandmates. In addition to music and raising their family, Gary and Marla also rescued and cared for thousands of animals together, providing loving homes and a safe haven for dogs and cats in need.

The Motor Jam project brought him back together with Scott Morgan along with Robert Gillespie, and Jon Eppinga. Motor Jam eventually morphed into GRR. By the 00s, GRR morphed again with musicians Bill Engleman, Stuart Skaggs, Darryl Pierce, Tim Diaz, Marlon Young, and Stephen Grant Wood. And at the end of that decade, Gary found himself on the road and recording with Alvin Youngblood Hart, which produced a powerful blues rock, Americana album called Motivational Speaker. Gary, Alvin and drummer, Ed Michaels toured Europe and the US promoting this hard-hitting blues rock trio and Gary said it was a thrill for him to be in this band. Off the road, Alvin and Gary remained close, lifelong friends.

For the next 25 years until his untimely passing, collaborations abounded. Gary was in the bands Smokin’ Moses, High Flying Bird, Blood Sisters, Calamity Jane, and in many duos and trios with musical friends Rudy Gerbo, Cass Dufrin, Mary McGuire and Ken Mitchell.

During this era of his life, Gary continued to perform, write, record, and produce music at his home studio with his past and present bandmates. When Marla met Nancy Guettier who was working as the marketing director for Pottery Barn Kids on a flight, their creative friendship was born. Gary and Marla spent several years collaborating with San Francisco singer-songwriter, author, and producer, their prolific creativity produced over 40 songs which Nancy released on her debut album Red Hawk Prophecy. Gary continued to perform their musical catalog in bands post collaboration and always looked on that time with a sense of accomplishment.

Around 2017, Gary harkenned back full circle to his Grande days performing with the Grande All Stars with Laura Mendoza, Jim Alfredson, Johnny Bee Badanjek, Steve Farmer, Lamont Zodiac, and more at Callahan’s Music Hall in Auburn Hills.

For a couple of years, he wasn’t able to perform publicly as he was battling leukemia like a champ. His studio became his sanctuary where he continued to write and record.

Once he was healed and then made it through the pandemic, Gary was back out–performing in pubs and festivals with Broken Arrow Blues Band. He–particularly loved playing the Sandbar in Saugatuck and the Alpena Blues Festival in Northern Michigan.

The last big concert production Gary played was in 2023 for the Crazy Horse Memorial® 75th Anniversary weekend in Custer, South Dakota. He performed with Blue Stone Project, and it was once again, one of his favorite collaborations. The band featured Aaron White, Ed Michaels, Jesse Valenzuela (Gin Blossoms), and John Densmore (The Doors).

To hear Gary’s music, visit Discogs for a list of hundreds of recordings that Gary contributed to over his lifetime. His family continues to post music, videos, and images on his Facebook page to honor his life at @garyrasmussenmusic. A memorial is being planned to honor Gary.  Follow his Facebook page for details.