The most recent lineup of The Stooges: From left, James Williamson, Iggy Pop and Scott Asheton
Scott “Rock Action” Asheton, the co-founder and longtime drummer of proto-punk legends The Stooges, who, in recent years, was sidelined by unspecified medical issues, died Saturday night at age 64, bandleader Iggy Pop announced today via the group’s Facebook page, saying Asheton and his late brother Ron “have left a huge legacy to the world.”
Iggy writes: “Scott was a great artist, I have never heard anyone play the drums with more meaning than Scott Asheton. He was like my brother. He and Ron have left a huge legacy to the world. The Ashetons have always been and continue to be a second family to me.”
Iggy co-founded The Stooges with the Asheton brothers and bassist Dave Alexander in 1967. The band went through several incarnations, and released a trio of classic records — The Stooges, Fun House and Raw Power — before splitting in 1974. Iggy and The Stooges would reunite in 2003, and recorded a new album, The Weirdness, with Ron Asheton before he died of a heart attack in 2009.
The Stooges released another new album, Ready to Die, last year, with James Williamson back in the fold. Although James Asheton played on it, he has not toured with the band in recent years following a medical incident at a festival in France in 2011. Most recently, the band was looking at recording this year without Iggy Pop, according to Rolling Stone.
Below, Iggy’s full message on Scott Asheton’s death — plus live footage from 1970:
IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM IGGY:
My dear friend Scott Asheton passed away last night.
Scott was a great artist, I have never heard anyone play the drums with more meaning than Scott Asheton. He was like my brother. He and Ron have left a huge legacy to the world. The Asheton’s have always been and continue to be a second family to me.
My thoughts are with his sister Kathy, his wife Liz and his daughter Leanna, who was the light of his life.
Iggy Pop
RIP
Sad day for old school punk fans.
I often hurt myself in time to their music. He was probably the most copied drummer in recent rock history. RIP.
It’s sobering when your heroes die all around you.
RIP Scott, as a drummer, l loved your style. Your legacy lives on forever. God bless you.
Kids these days got no gumption. Fuck ‘um.