DETROIT – A Michigan music great received a fitting rock 'n' roll tribute Saturday evening at the Fillmore in Detroit.
Legendary guitarist Dick Wagner died in July at the age of 71 from respiratory failure after having heart surgery.
He was known as the ‘Maestro of Music.' He played with and wrote songs for artists like Alice Cooper, Lou Reed, Peter Gabriel and Aerosmith.
"That's the common bond that we had," said Mark Farner, lead singer of Grand Funk Railroad. "This is all to stir up our memories with Wagner and bring up the way he lived his life with music and the love of music."
Farner, another Michigan rocker, lead Saturday night's tribute of Grand Funk Railroad. Farner had the honor of sharing the stage with Wagner many times in his early career and has remained an inspiration ever since.
"He was a giver, he wasn't a taker, he was a giver," Farner said. "To get a hold of a giver, who can play that way? Wow! For him giving made his life."
Other artists that were on tap included Marshall Crenshaw, Brad Whitford of Aerosmith, and Drew Abbott of Silver. Hosting was WCSX-FM's Doug Podell, and the evening included a screening of the Grande Ballroom documentary, "Louder Than Love," for which Wagner wrote the closing theme.