Happy Birthday to the late Fred "Sonic" Smith, who would have turned 58 years old today if a heart attack hadn't nailed him in 1994. Always my favorite member of the MC5, the man went on to such legendary feats as forming the Sonic's Rendezvous Band, marrying Patti Smith and inspiring Sonic Youth's name.

I only caught Sonic live one time, and I'm sad to admit it was a bummer ... he and Patti played some kind of benefit in Ann Arbor and it was a big deal, as they'd both been retired from music for a decade at this point. Fred Smith was a gaunt husk of a man and the reformed Rendezvous Band did their best to prop him up, but he seemed freaked out by being on stage again and the effect was dispiriting. Of course, Patti Smith had enough energy for both of them, and her set completely destroyed me ... I hadn't paid much attention to her before then, but her frenzied, righteous performance converted me on the spot, so it still ranks as one of the greatest shows I've ever seen.

Dig more at www.sonicsrendezvousband.net.