Ron Ashton...RIP.

[Revvy]

Rolling Stone's 29th ranked guitarist, and the number 1 stooge...Dead at 60.

The Stooges guitarist Ron Asheton found dead at 60

By BEN LEUBSDORF – 1 hour ago

DETROIT (AP) — Ron Asheton, the guitarist for the Stooges whose raw sound helped inspire the first generation of punk musicians, has died. He was 60.

Asheton was found at his Ann Arbor home early Tuesday morning by police officers after they were called by an associate who had not heard from him in several days, said city police Sgt. Brad Hill.

There were no signs of foul play, and the death appeared to be of natural causes, Hill said.

Asheton was a founding member of the Stooges, the influential protopunk band formed in Ann Arbor in 1967, along with his brother, Scott.

Lead singer Iggy Pop called Asheton "my best friend" in a statement Tuesday, and the band expressed shock at his death.

"For all that knew him behind the facade of Mr. Cool & Quirky, he was a kind-hearted, genuine, warm person who always believed that people meant well even if they did not," the band said in a written statement. "As a musician Ron was The Guitar God, idol to follow and inspire others. That is how he will be remembered by people who had a great pleasure to work with him, learn from him and share good and bad times with him."

Asheton's powerful, distorted guitar on songs like "I Wanna Be Your Dog" and "T.V. Eye" was a hallmark of the group's sound. His "technically adept but also beautifully raw" style was heavily influenced by free jazz and created "beauty out of noise," said Brian Cogan, a punk-music historian at Molloy College on New York's Long Island.

"He invents the template for punk-rock guitar," Cogan said. "He's the one who allows Johnny Ramone and the guys in the Dictators to play the way they do."

When he was named the 29th greatest guitarist of all time in 2003 by Rolling Stone, the magazine described Asheton as "the Detroit punk who made the Stooges' music reek like a puddle of week-old biker sweat."

After recording three albums in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Stooges split and Iggy Pop went on to a successful solo career. Asheton played guitar for bands including the New Order, New Race, Destroy All Monsters and Dark Carnival.

In 2003, Asheston reunited with the rest of the Stooges and a new album, "The Weirdness," was released in 2007.

Russ Gibb, who owned Detroit's legendary Grande Ballroom and gave the Stooges their first major show there in 1968, said Asheton was a gentleman in all of their dealings.

"Wherever he is today, it's a better place because he's there," Gibb said Tuesday. "He was a gentleman musician. The musicland that you and I live in has lost something today and wherever musicians go, they're better today because he's there."

Ronald Asheton was born July 17, 1948, in Washington, D.C.

He is survived by his sister Kathy and his brother Scott, who is The Stooges' drummer.

Here's what Iggy put on the front page of Iggypop.com.

Ronald Frank Asheton July 17, 1948 - January 6, 2009

We are shocked and shaken by the news of Ron’s death. He was a great friend, brother, musician, trooper. Irreplaceable. He will be missed.

For all that knew him behind the façade of Mr Cool & Quirky, he was a kind-hearted, genuine, warm person who always believed that people meant well even if they did not.

As a musician Ron was The Guitar God, idol to follow and inspire others. That is how he will be remembered by people who had a great pleasure to work with him, learn from him and share good and bad times with him.

Iggy, Scott, Steve, Mike and Crew

-----------------------------------------

I am in shock. He was my best friend.

Iggy Pop

YouTube - Iggy Pop and The Stooges, Live in Cincinnati, 1970

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSN-Y1W4Jm4]YouTube - Iggy & the Stooges - I wanna be your dog (live 2004)[/ame]

I saw Iggy and the Stooges twice, and Ashton in countless local gigs, stepping out on stage at some charity gig for a local musician having hard times, or at a musical festival jamming with one of his rock and rol celeb friends, when they hit Detroit on a tour. Or he and his brother Scott, jamming at some MC-5/Detroit in the 70's tribute jam.

He was not one of those run around the stage and swing his axe kinda guitar player..in fact pretty boring in the "guitar slinger showman" way..in fact just the opposite, the guy standing there looking down and his fingers, laying down heavy and yet intricate riffs...

There's gonna be a hellova jam in heaven tonight!

 

[flyangler18]

Sigh....

I saw the Stooges a couple of times myself. He'll be missed, that's for sure.

 

[gwood]

He'll be missed.

 

[GroovePuppy]

Used to be a huge Stooges fan. Sucks to lose someone with such a distinctive sound.

 

[APendejo]

Saw them years ago, Rock Action was definately one of the 60's "shoe staring" guitar players, with the exception that he could RAWK!!
Most Iggy videos don't do the band justice.
RIP Rock Action
AP

 

[Revvy]

Saw them years ago, Rock Action was definately one of the 60's "shoe staring" guitar players, with the exception that he could RAWK!!
Most Iggy videos don't do the band justice.
RIP Rock Action
AP

AMEN...I'm still feeling down about it...it feels like a part of my "living in Detroit" culture has died....

 

[Revvy]

WDET the Detroit public radio station I used to work for has been running and re-running this piece they did last year to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the release of the MC-5's first album...It tells the story about the interconnectedness of both the '5 and the stooges in Detroit's rock lineage...and their influence on Punl.

It's worth a listen...

http://wdetfm.org/audio/articles/MC5_and_Stooges_40_Years_Later_.mp3