Thursday, January 15, 2009

Iggy Pop Interview & Ron Asheton Memorial

Rolling Stone reports Iggy Pop's first interview since the death of Stooges' co-founder Ron Asheton. Iggy recalls his best friend's inestimable influence, psychedelic origins and love of small animals. Read on (and listen to the actual Detroil radio interview).

And this just in...

Private Memorial Held for Stooges' Guitarist Ron Asheton
By Roger LeLievre The Ann Arbor News

A private memorial service attended by family members and close friends of the late Stooges' guitarist Ron Asheton was held Tuesday at Muehlig's Funeral Chapel in Ann Arbor.

Among those attending were Stooges' frontman Iggy Pop; Ron Asheton's brother and Stooges' drummer Scott Asheton; bassist Mike Watt; and saxophonist Steve MacKay, as well as two members of The Stooges' management team.

"Each of us just got up and said a few words. After, we all went to Weber's and had a real nice dinner," said Scott Morgan, a fellow musician and long-time friend of Asheton's. "It was pretty much local except for the band and the band people. There were a lot of close friends, people who always came to Ron's on Christmas Eve."Asheton was found dead in his Ann Arbor home by police officers on Jan. 6. The cause of death has not been determined, pending completion of toxicology tests that are expected to take nearly a month.

Asheton was a founding member of The Stooges, which formed in Ann Arbor in the 1960s and went on to pioneer the musical style of punk rock, influencing generations of rock musicians. He was ranked at No. 29 on Rolling Stone's list of 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.
Morgan said Pop and other band members gave no indication about the future of The Stooges without Asheton.

"They are still in shock," he said.

A tribute to Asheton will be held Saturday night at the Music Hall for the Performing Arts in downtown Detroit. A local Stooges tribute is planned for late February at the Blind Pig, with details to come, Morgan said.

Family members have asked that donations in memory of Asheton be made to his favorite charity, the Humane Society of Huron Valley. Contributions can be made online at http://www.hshv.org/ (click the "Donations" link and scroll down to the Memorial Honorarium option). Those wishing to donate should list "Ron Asheton" in the "Honoree Name" part of the electronic form.

Meanwhile, The Stooges were again snubbed by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Wednesday. The band has been on the hall's nomination ballot seven times since the mid-1990s, including this year, but has yet to win enough votes to get in.

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