The Stooges' Gutarist Has Left the World
The 60-year-old guitar player has passed away.
In Ann Arbor, Mich., Ron Asheton was found dead on the morning of January 6. His personal assistant called police to check up on him, as he had not been in communication in several days. The cause of death has not been determined yet, and he was reported as looking at peace, leading officials to suspect he had a heart attack.
The Stooges were Iggy Pop's backing band, and in the 1970s, their punk and rock sound was immensely popular. One of the keys to their popularity was Asheton's guitar work. The band is considered one of the innovators of punk rock. The Stooges' three albums are on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and all three clock in on the top 200. On top of that, Asheton has also been acknowledged by RS as one of the 100 Greatest Guitar players of All Time.
His career included playing with several bands, and the Stooges reunited to release an album in 2006, after over 30 years of inactivity. He had been on the road the last few years, enjoying a commercial success this time around that the Stooges did not receive in the 1970s.
