A West Michigan artist has honored Michigan's lengthy Rock'N Roll tradition with six foot by six foot mural on the west side. 

Kimber Thompson from Marshall near Battle Creek created the homage to Michigan rockers, which is located on the side of the Swift Printing Building at 404 W. Bridge St. SW.

The black and white mural is painted with acrylic paint on plastic billboard vinyl. The mural is accompanied by a rather well researched pamphlet which features highlights and little known facts of each artist's career. (For instance, did you know Alice Cooper's signature look was inspired by the film noir classic 'Whatever Happened To Baby Jane'?)

Featured on the mural in addition to Michigan icons like Kid Rock, Bob Seger and Eminem are Motown greats Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder, as well as proto punk rockers Iggy and the Stooges and the MC5, and of course, GR's own Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Verve Pipe.

The mural, like most Michigan-inspired art, panders to our famous mitten shape, but the art work of the musicians is well rendered and appears to be photograhic from a distance, until you walk up to it and can see the brush strokes.

Jojo Girard/TSM
Jojo Girard/TSM
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Here's a list of the artists depicted on the MIchigan ROCKS! mural:

Ted Nugent

Kid Rock

Bob Seger

Uncle Kracker

Rare Earth (a nice pick up, because this seminal '70s jam band has long been forgotten)

Alice Cooper

The Knack

Aaliyah

The Eagles

The White Stripes

Stevie Wonder

Grand Funk Railroad

? and the Mysterions

Insane Clown Posse

The Stooges (fun fact: Iggy was born in Muskegon)

Mitch Ryder

Diana Ross

The Verve Pipe

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Smokey Robinson

Eminem

Aretha Franklin

The Temptations

Madonna

Sponge

Kimber Thompson
Kimber Thompson
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