R.I.P. RON ASHETON

Ron Asheton, founding guitarist of The Stooges, has been found dead in his home in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He was 60 years old.

Cause of death has not yet been determined, although the police say they do not suspect foul play.

I know The Stooges aren’t really metal, but they do (did?) rock about as hard as any band ever has, and I’m sure they’ve influenced literally hundreds (if not thousands) of metal acts. Friends of mine who saw some of their reunion gigs over the past few years told me they were still kickin’ as much ass as men half their age; I am now sorrier than ever that I never made it to one of those shows.

It’s hard to choose just one song as my favorite by this legendary band… but here they are performing “I Wanna Be Your Dog” in ’04.

-AR