Sad news today: Ron Asheton, the guitarist from The Stooges, has died at age 60. He and his brother, drummer Scott Asheton, never became household names the way frontman Iggy Pop did, but Ron’s raucous guitar parts on those first two Stooges albums in1969 and 1970 laid the groundwork for so much rock ‘n’ roll to come.
I was lucky enough to interview Ron in January 2007, after the reunited Stooges had just finished recording their first studio album in over three decades with producer Steve Albini in Chicago. Asheton was in a great mood then, talking proudly about how he’d eased right back into the old Stooges groove without any of the old drama. "When you’re the reckless rebel, when you’re a kid, everything is, ‘The girls will like this record, and then when we’re done, we can go to the club and we’ll smoke some dope!’" he told me. "But now it’s the satisfaction after the day’s work, to ride back in the van from the studio to our hotel in Chicago, and then be on the expressway, and see the whole Chicago skyline, which is a beautiful skyline, lit up at night, listening to your day’s work." Ron wanted to keep those good vibes going, and he had no intention of putting down his guitar anytime soon. "You’re a professional musician. You can’t be forced to retire. Look at B.B. King, what is he, 80-something? That’s the beauty of being a musician. They can’t take it away from you. It’s your music, and you’re pumping it out. You just play ’til you drop."
And now, those are such bittersweet words.
Let us know what you remember about Ron and the Stooges and what they meant to you.
More on the Stooges:
Talking to Ron Asheton in 2007 about the Stooges’ reunion
They’ve been nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year
Dalton Ross gave their reunion album, The Weirdness, a B– review
They jammed at Bam Margera’s wedding, and EW was there
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The Stooges “Funhouse” is one of my fave albums of all time. esp. great to listen too late at night after you come home from a night of drinking.
there’s a fab early Stooges clip on youtube:
“Rest in peace” doesn’t seem apropos in Ron’s case … Rest in the bliss of your amps cranked to 11, brother. You blasted out some of the mightiest guitar grime ever heard in the history of RAWK.
Best show I ever saw was at the Wetlands in NYC (no longer there) – J. Mascis and the Fog (w/Mike Watt on bass). Ron Asheton comes on stage for half the show and they just play Stooges songs (Evan Dando sang some of them). Blew me away.
This is really sad. Ron played on what are probably the four most ferocious albums ever made. At least he was able to play with a reunited Stooges and blow a whole new generation away.
Ron was a guy who never compromised, yet who won in the end (which pleases me greatly). That alone is worthy of respect, and his awesome guitar playing was icing on the cake. I’m grateful to have heard him play three shows. One was Destroy All Monsters back in Ann Arbor, another was a knockout Stooges show on my 47th birthday in Seattle in 2006. RIP
Am I wrong or is that photo actually James Williamson?
RIP Ron.
Yeah, I believe that is in fact James Williamson. Ron was a Strat player. That looks like a “Raw Power”-era shot anyway, when Ron would have been playing bass.
I meet Ron in 1986 in Michigan. We were both cast in a really horrible horror movie together. He shoots me at the end of the film. I loved Ron. He was cool to everyone and just loved what he loved. He will be missed.
Definitely does look like Williamson in that photo — I’ve never seen a photo of Ron playing a Les Paul. I’ll be cranking Funhouse tonight…loud.
Put the right picture up there, cretins.
Hey, amigo – that’s not a picture of Ron Asheton. You might try this one, although one final snub from the rock critic community is all too appropriate for Brother Ron.
http://www.i94bar.com/images/asheton.JPG
While growing up as an angry young mutant in a horribly small town in rural Oregon, discovering the Stooges album ‘Fun House’ was a moment of epiphany. I’ll never forget the cold chill that hit me when Asheton’s riff from ‘Loose’ kicked in. The first time you hear the pure stuff, it just blows away all that came before it…
Dave Alexander, Robin Tyner, Ron Asheton – there’s one HELL of a drinking-man’s party going on in Detroit Rock Valhalla right now.
That is his picture! Its taken at the virgin mobel fest in baltimore last august. The reason the guitar seem odd, is the stooges eqiupment was stolen days before in quebec.
The Stooges were great, and their guitar playing was raucous. May Asheton rest in peace.
Ron’s work is the foundation of punk metal. A legend no doubt. I still listen to his work regularly, and to this day after many many thousands of listens, still highly impressed. Salute to you Ron!
Ron was a kind person who always had time for friends. He loved his Cuban cigars and animals. Rest in peace my friend, you will be missed. We had some good times.
I love the Stooges and will miss Ron so much. Lucky for us he left behind a lot of great music to enjoy over and over again. I think tomorrow I will have a Stooges-fest on my ipod! Anyone hear the box set with all the studio outtakes? It’s a must for all Stooges fans, if you can find it.
This makes me terribly sad.
That is Ron’s signature Reverend guitar in that shot, which he was especially happy to have designed. He was a hell of guitar player who would have been just as happy being a veterinarian or a painter, but he was blessed with the musician’s curse. I knew Ron very well and he was my best friend. I loved him outside of his music and I think he liked that. I will miss you -
A True Original His one note distorted riffs Iggy’s voice what a combo!! Kings of the raw and unpolished.Inventors Of Punk Rock!!
R.I.P. Ron My Sympathy to Iggy and the stooges. Music would not Be the same with out them
To anyone wondering about the early comments – there was a different photo up originally. Thanks for putting up a real one of Ron so quickly, it’s appreciated.
Another rock and roll legend joins the ranks of the Good Dead Ones, and the planet is a little poorer for it. Be seeing ya, Mr. Asheton.
Very SAD to hear! I knew Ron in Ann Arbor, and also in Australia, when he collaborated with New Race, etc. He was a good guy with lots and lots of really fun stories to tell,…he would keep us entertained till morning hours…I’m sure he is keeping’em all rolling in the isles up in rock-n-roll haven! Bonvoyage Ron!
Ron your work here is done but not before burning those riffs into my brain forever, thanks for inspiration.
I was a few years too young to see the original Stooges incarnation, but I caught the reconstituted edition in 2007.
They blew my head off.
Have you ever laughed – not in a funny-haha way – at something just because it was so ridiculously great it was just retarded?
That’s what The Stooges did to me that night.
I knew instinctively that Punk Rock began in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
But it only took a few minutes into “Loose” to have that epiphany loud and clear at 95 dB that night. It was sooooo obvious that Ron Asheton’s guitar slab sound, Scott Asheton’s straight ahead thud and Iggy’s vocals and stage antics were the blueprint. The Stooges are clearly Ground Zero for Punk Rock.
Ron’s guitar sound was so primal and visceral. A true one off, never to be repeated.
R.I.P. Ron.
(Props to EW for actually covering this story.)
I met Ron after a “J.Mascis and The Fog” show in D.C. and he was kind, friendly, modest, extremely appreciative, and very funny. You couple these rare(for a rock musician!)traits with his incredible guitar skills and song writing ability, and he has forever remained a hero in my mind. RIP Ron!
At 2:24, the Igster says C’mon Ron tell ‘em how *I* feel… and then there’s this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZYPriCxvoI
I loved Ron.
I was too young to see the Stooges live, and live in a cultural wasteland that prohibited me from seeing them when they got back together, but I have spent many countless hours with the first three Stooges records since I got them when I was fourteen.
There are no words to really describe this loss. One of those dudes who changed everything. It’s impossible to think of music without the Stooges, and Ron’s guitar playing is one of the biggest reasons for that, if not the biggest.
The band literally taught me what rock and roll was. The first song I even learned on guitar was “No Fun”, which is an odd title, cause it’s still fun to play.
Dude, you are going to be missed. My prayers are with his friends and family this night.
And a mad thanks for the tunes. They’ll always be close to my ears, and my childrens.
Sad day today.
Another wild one, gone. Thank you Ron for your riffs and your spirit.
I met Ron in Ann Arbor at a record convention in the late 80’s. He was a great guy, very nice and easy to talk to. He and Iggy were the Heart and Soul of the Stooges. God, it is a sad day when you realize you’ll never see him play live again.
R.I.P.
man, what a sad day.
Ron Asheton was a major hero to me.
I bought the first Stooges LP from the Kmart cut-out bin for 49 cents. must have been around 1972-73, ’cause Raw Power was out shortly after. I was about 15 yrs old.
that was a complete sonic/mental meltdown experience for me! Iggy was cool, but the guitar sound was like something I’d been waiting my whole life to hear. like drunken Godzilla stompin’ a Marshall amp factory!
then…
I got Funhouse on 8-track and had my mind blown all over again, but in a totally different way!
I met Iggy once (early 80s) and I really wanted to tell him that he needed to get back with the Asheton bros, but I didn’t want him to think I was an a-hole.
nowadays I listen to very little rock music recorded after the early 70s, just because you can’t really improve on the simple perfection of that sound.
sail on brother Ron!
What a sad day, my thoughts go out to his family, friends and band mates. A truly inspirational guitarist. I was lucky enough to see them only last August in London and they blew me away. RIP Ron, you will be sadly missed.