Sad news out of Ann Arbor, Michigan earlier this week that guitarist Ron Asheton was found dead in his home of a suspected heart attack.  Asheton, along with his brother Scott and Iggy Pop were founding members of the Stooges and were enjoying a resurgence since re-forming along with Iggy for the Coachella Festival in 2003.

Ron Asheton’s primal guitar tone and huge sound propelled the Stooges out of Ann Arbor and Detroit in the late 1960’s and early 70’s to worldwide acclaim.  They were the original proto-punk band and influenced countless musicians including J. Mascis and Dinosaur Jr., Mike Ness of Social Distortion and the Sex Pistols to name just a few.

Mike Watt, legendary bass guitarist for the Minutemen and Firehose, was asked by Iggy Pop to join the Stooges in 2003 and performed as a Stooge alongside them for 5 and 1/2 years.   This is what he had to say about Ron yesterday:

“As a musician, he was a pioneer — very singular, very unique. To get to be onstage with him was incredible for me. We all looked up to Ronnie with that guitar sound. Man, it was a sound, but especially in those days in the early ’70s. Most people at my high school, they didn’t like that sound. They were like, “You like them?” We took a lot of shit for liking them in a way.

The Stooges recorded a new album, The Weirdness, released in 2007; widely acknowledged as a return to form while also showing the band had evolved since the early ’70s.

The band has been nominated again for possible induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009 and an announcement is expected soon which will hopefully confirm their rightful place alongside similar pioneers.

Fellow Michigander, Madonna Ciccone, in a move that was widely reported to be a not too subtle hint aimed at the Rock and Roll governing body, invited Iggy Pop and the Stooges to perform her songs on her behalf when she was inducted into the Rock Hall in 2008.   The ensuing performances by the Stooges were the highlight of the evening!

Raucous versions of two Madonna hits “Burning Up” and “Ray of Light” were performed. Before leaving the stage, Iggy Pop looked directly at Madonna quoting “You make me feel shiny and new, like a virgin, touched for the very first time.” from “Like A Virgin”. According to Ron Asheton, Madonna asked The Stooges to perform in her place, as a protest to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for not inducting The Stooges despite six appearances on the nomination ballot.

Here is Ron Asheton with Iggy Pop and the Stooges performing Madonna’s “Burning Up”