Ron Asheton
Encyclopedia
Ronald Frank Asheton was an American guitarist and co-songwriter with Iggy Pop
for the rock
band
The Stooges
.
Asheton is ranked as number 29 on Rolling Stone
s list of 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.
, when he was replaced in both instrument and songwriting prominence by The Stooges' new guitar player, James Williamson. When the Stooges reformed, however, he once again appeared as the band's guitarist.
(not the UK band New Order
), Destroy All Monsters
, Dark Carnival, New Race
and The Empty Set.
More recently he played with The Wylde Ratttz, a band composed of some of punk and alt-rock's most renowned and respected musicians. The band included Mike Watt
of the Minutemen, J. Mascis of Dinosaur Jr., Thurston Moore
of Sonic Youth
, and Mark Arm
of Mudhoney. It contributed a cover version of the Stooges song "T.V. Eye" to the soundtrack for the Todd Haynes
film Velvet Goldmine
, which starred Ewan McGregor
and Jonathan Rhys Meyers.
Asheton also acted, appearing with The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
star Gunnar Hansen
in Mosquito
, which was released 1995. He also appeared in two other films: Frostbiter: Wrath of the Wendigo
and Legion of the Night
.
in the early hours of January 6, 2009, apparently having died of a heart attack a couple of days earlier. Police were summoned to Asheton's house by his personal assistant, who had been unable to reach him for several days. Sonic Youth
's album The Eternal
is dedicated to him.
Guitars
Effects
Amplification
With The New Order
With Destroy All Monsters
With New Race
With Dark Carnival
With The Empty Set
With Powertrane
Other contributions
Asheton is credited for helping to write the song "Hit Them Again" on the album Radios Appear
(1977) by Radio Birdman
, as well as one track that can be heard at the end of the movie Mosquito
. Some other tracks Asheton wrote had been recorded by the group "Wylde Rattz", for the original score of the movie Velvet Goldmine
, but only one song was featured on the soundtrack (1998), as well as another on Beyond Cyberpunk a Wayne Kramer (MC5) assembled CD compilation (2001).
Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Though considered an innovator of punk rock, Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the years, including pop, metal, jazz and blues...
for the rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
The Stooges
The Stooges
The Stooges are an American rock band from Ann Arbor, Michigan first active from 1967 to 1974, and later reformed in 2003...
.
Asheton is ranked as number 29 on Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
s list of 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.
The Stooges
Asheton was born in Washington D.C. He already had five years of practice on the accordion behind him when he began playing bass guitar at age 10. Asheton was lead guitarist on the Stooges' first two albums, and later appeared as bassist for their third, Raw PowerRaw Power
Raw Power is the third studio album by American rock band The Stooges. Though not initially commercially successful, Raw Power gained a cult fanbase in the years following its release and, like its predecessor , is generally considered an influential forerunner of punk rock.-Recording history:After...
, when he was replaced in both instrument and songwriting prominence by The Stooges' new guitar player, James Williamson. When the Stooges reformed, however, he once again appeared as the band's guitarist.
Other work
Apart from The Stooges, Asheton also played in the bands The New OrderThe New Order (band)
The New Order was an American hard rock and proto-punk band. The band was based in Los Angeles and existed from early 1975 to October 1976.-History:...
(not the UK band New Order
New Order
New Order are an English rock band formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris...
), Destroy All Monsters
Destroy All Monsters (band)
Destroy All Monsters were an influential Detroit band existing from 1973 to 1985, with sporadic performances since. Their music touched on elements of punk rock, psychedelic, heavy metal music and noise rock with a heavy dose of performance art. Their name likely came from the Godzilla film Destroy...
, Dark Carnival, New Race
New Race
New Race was a punk/proto-punk super-group based in Sydney, Australia formed in April 1981. New Race was a concept band featuring three members of Radio Birdman: Deniz Tek, Rob Younger, and Warwick Gilbert, along with their inspirational mentors: Ron Asheton of The Stooges, and Dennis "Machine Gun"...
and The Empty Set.
More recently he played with The Wylde Ratttz, a band composed of some of punk and alt-rock's most renowned and respected musicians. The band included Mike Watt
Mike Watt
Michael David Watt is an American bassist, singer and songwriter.He is best known for co-founding the rock bands Minutemen, dos, and Firehose; , he is also the bassist for the reunited Stooges and a member of the art rock/jazz/punk/improv group Banyan as well as many other post-Minutemen...
of the Minutemen, J. Mascis of Dinosaur Jr., Thurston Moore
Thurston Moore
Thurston Joseph Moore is an American musician best known as a singer, songwriter and guitarist of Sonic Youth. He has also participated in many solo and group collaborations outside of Sonic Youth, as well as running the Ecstatic Peace! record label...
of Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Steve Shelley , and Mark Ibold .In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City...
, and Mark Arm
Mark Arm
Mark Arm is the vocalist for the grunge band Mudhoney. He is also credited with coining the term "grunge" to describe his style of rock music...
of Mudhoney. It contributed a cover version of the Stooges song "T.V. Eye" to the soundtrack for the Todd Haynes
Todd Haynes
Todd Haynes is an American independent film director and screenwriter. He is best known for his feature films Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story, Poison, Velvet Goldmine, Safe, and the Academy Award-nominated Far from Heaven and I'm Not There.- Style and themes :The writes that "Haynes is...
film Velvet Goldmine
Velvet Goldmine
Velvet Goldmine is a 1998 British/American drama film directed and co-written by Todd Haynes. The film tells the story of a pop star based mainly on David Bowie's 'Ziggy Stardust' character and is set in Britain during the days of glam rock in the early 1970s.Sandy Powell received another Academy...
, which starred Ewan McGregor
Ewan McGregor
Ewan Gordon McGregor is a Scottish actor. He has had success in mainstream, indie, and art house films. McGregor is perhaps best known for his roles as heroin addict Mark Renton in the drama Trainspotting , young Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequel trilogy , and poet Christian in the...
and Jonathan Rhys Meyers.
Asheton also acted, appearing with The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a 1974 American independent horror film directed and produced by Tobe Hooper, who cowrote it with Kim Henkel. It stars Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, Edwin Neal, Jim Siedow, and Gunnar Hansen, who respectively portray Sally Hardesty, Franklin Hardesty, the...
star Gunnar Hansen
Gunnar Hansen
Gunnar Milton Hansen is an Icelandic-born actor and author best known for playing Leatherface in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre .- Early life:Hansen was born in Reykjavík, Iceland, and moved to the United States when he was five...
in Mosquito
Mosquito (film)
Mosquito is a 1995 science fiction film directed by Gary Jones. The film's plot pays homage to the classic 50's horror genre. Mosquito is about mosquitoes that become mutated when a spaceship crash lands in a swamp. The mosquitoes grow to enormous size and attack campers in a remote northern...
, which was released 1995. He also appeared in two other films: Frostbiter: Wrath of the Wendigo
Frostbiter: Wrath of the Wendigo
Frostbiter: Wrath of the Wendigo, is an independent horror-comedy movie, filmed sometime in 1988 but released in 1996 by Troma Entertainment. One of the stars, Ron Asheton, is the former guitarist for The Stooges.-Synopsis:...
and Legion of the Night
Legion of the Night
Legion of the Night is a 1995 horror film directed by Matt Jaissle and stars Tim Lovelace, Jeff Rector, Ron Asheton, Heather Fine, and S. William Hinzman. The film revolves around a scientist who experiments with reanimation of corpses, accidentally creating zombies...
.
Death
Asheton was found dead in his bed by police at his home in Ann Arbor, MichiganAnn Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
in the early hours of January 6, 2009, apparently having died of a heart attack a couple of days earlier. Police were summoned to Asheton's house by his personal assistant, who had been unable to reach him for several days. Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Steve Shelley , and Mark Ibold .In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City...
's album The Eternal
The Eternal (album)
The Eternal is the sixteenth studio album by Sonic Youth, released by Matador Records on June 9, 2009, their first on that label. It is their first studio album in three years , making it the band's longest delay between studio albums...
is dedicated to him.
Musical equipment
Asheton mainly relied on simple setups with very few effect pedals.Guitars
- Reverend Ron Asheton Signature guitar (Custom Volcano 390)Reverend guitarsReverend Musical Instruments, commonly known as Reverend, is an American manufacturer of electric guitars. The company was established in 1996 by noted guitar and amplifier technician Joe Naylor, a graduate of the Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery...
- Reverend Jetstream guitar
- Gibson Les PaulGibson Les PaulThe Gibson Les Paul was the result of a design collaboration between Gibson Guitar Corporation and the late jazz guitarist and electronics inventor Les Paul. In 1950, with the introduction of the Fender Telecaster to the musical market, electric guitars became a public craze. In reaction, Gibson...
- Gibson Flying VGibson Flying V-External links:*, , , , and , from the Gibson website*, a June 2001 article from Guitar Collector magazine*, a tribute site that lists all models and re-issues and most notable players**...
- Fender StratocasterFender StratocasterThe Fender Stratocaster, often referred to as "Strat", is a model of electric guitar designed by Leo Fender, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares in 1954, and manufactured continuously by the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation to the present. It is a double-cutaway guitar, with an extended top...
- Gibson SG Jr.Gibson SGAt the launch of the SG in 1961, Gibson offered four variants of the SG; the SG Junior , the SG Special, the SG Standard, and the top-of-the-line SG Custom. However, Gibson's current core variants as of 2010 are the SG Standard and the SG Special...
Effects
- Vox WahWah-wah pedalA wah-wah pedal is a type of guitar effects pedal that alters the tone of the signal to create a distinctive effect, mimicking the human voice...
- Reverend Drive Train
- Mosrite Fuzzrite
- Ibanez Tube ScreamerIbanez Tube ScreamerThe Ibanez Tube Screamer is a guitar overdrive pedal, made by Ibanez. The pedal has a characteristic mid-boosted tone popular with blues players...
- Vox Tone BenderTone BenderTone Bender is the name of several fuzzboxes. Macari's Ltd currently owns the Tone Bender trademark. Korg used to own Tone Bender trademarks in the 1990s.-Sola Sound Tone Bender MKI:...
Amplification
- Vox Super Beatles AmpVox (musical equipment)Vox is a musical equipment manufacturer which is most famous for making the Vox AC30 guitar amplifier, the Vox Continental electric organ, and a series of innovative but commercially unsuccessful electric guitars and bass guitars...
- Marshall 1959Marshall AmplificationMarshall Amplification is a British company, founded by drummer Jim Marshall, that designs and manufactures music amplifiers, brands personal headphones/earphones , and, after acquiring Natal Drums, drums and bongos. Marshall amplifiers, and specifically their guitar amplifiers, are among the most...
- Marshall JCM 800Marshall AmplificationMarshall Amplification is a British company, founded by drummer Jim Marshall, that designs and manufactures music amplifiers, brands personal headphones/earphones , and, after acquiring Natal Drums, drums and bongos. Marshall amplifiers, and specifically their guitar amplifiers, are among the most...
- Marshall JCM 900Marshall AmplificationMarshall Amplification is a British company, founded by drummer Jim Marshall, that designs and manufactures music amplifiers, brands personal headphones/earphones , and, after acquiring Natal Drums, drums and bongos. Marshall amplifiers, and specifically their guitar amplifiers, are among the most...
- Sunn 2000SSunnSunn Amplifiers, are a brand of musical instrument amplifiers.- History :In early 1963, the Kingsmen, a band based in the U.S. state of Oregon, became known for the song "Louie, Louie". After its hit single, the band soon embarked on a fifty-state national tour...
Discography
With the Stooges- The StoogesThe Stooges (album)The Stooges is the self-titled debut of the rock band The Stooges. It was released in August 1969 and peaked at number 106 on the Billboard album charts. Two songs, "I Wanna Be Your Dog" and "1969", were released as singles. It is widely considered as one of the best proto punk albums...
(1969) - Fun House (1970)
- Raw PowerRaw PowerRaw Power is the third studio album by American rock band The Stooges. Though not initially commercially successful, Raw Power gained a cult fanbase in the years following its release and, like its predecessor , is generally considered an influential forerunner of punk rock.-Recording history:After...
(1973) - The WeirdnessThe WeirdnessThe Weirdness is the fourth studio album by influential American hard rock band The Stooges.The album features founding members Iggy Pop , Ron Asheton , and Scott Asheton along with new band member Mike Watt and returning guest musician Steve Mackay It...
(2007)
With The New Order
The New Order (band)
The New Order was an American hard rock and proto-punk band. The band was based in Los Angeles and existed from early 1975 to October 1976.-History:...
- New Order (1977)
- Victim Of Circumstance (1989)
- Declaration of War (1990)
With Destroy All Monsters
Destroy All Monsters (band)
Destroy All Monsters were an influential Detroit band existing from 1973 to 1985, with sporadic performances since. Their music touched on elements of punk rock, psychedelic, heavy metal music and noise rock with a heavy dose of performance art. Their name likely came from the Godzilla film Destroy...
- November 22nd 1963 (1989)
- Bored (1999) - recorded in 1978
With New Race
New Race
New Race was a punk/proto-punk super-group based in Sydney, Australia formed in April 1981. New Race was a concept band featuring three members of Radio Birdman: Deniz Tek, Rob Younger, and Warwick Gilbert, along with their inspirational mentors: Ron Asheton of The Stooges, and Dennis "Machine Gun"...
- The First and LastThe First and LastThe First and Last is a live album released by the "once-only" supergroup band New Race. The First and Last is a collection of recordings from the various shows the band played along the East Coast of Australia in 1981...
(1982) - The First To Pay (1989)
- The Second Wave (1990)
With Dark Carnival
- Live - Welcome to Show Business (1990)
- Greatest Show in Detroit (1991)
- Last Great Ride (1996)
- HOTBOX Greatest Hits 6 Disc set (2006)
With The Empty Set
- Thin Slim & None/Flunkie (1996)
With Powertrane
- Ann Arbor Revival Meeting (2003)
Other contributions
Asheton is credited for helping to write the song "Hit Them Again" on the album Radios Appear
Radios Appear
Radios Appear was the first full length studio album by Sydney punk-rock band Radio Birdman. The album was recorded at Birdman's Trafalgar Studios, Sydney during 1976 and 1977. Trafalgar initially distributed the album via mail order and by sales from the backs of friend's and band members' station...
(1977) by Radio Birdman
Radio Birdman
Radio Birdman was one of the first punk bands in Australia along with The Saints. Deniz Tek and Rob Younger formed the group in Sydney, Australia in 1974...
, as well as one track that can be heard at the end of the movie Mosquito
Mosquito (film)
Mosquito is a 1995 science fiction film directed by Gary Jones. The film's plot pays homage to the classic 50's horror genre. Mosquito is about mosquitoes that become mutated when a spaceship crash lands in a swamp. The mosquitoes grow to enormous size and attack campers in a remote northern...
. Some other tracks Asheton wrote had been recorded by the group "Wylde Rattz", for the original score of the movie Velvet Goldmine
Velvet Goldmine
Velvet Goldmine is a 1998 British/American drama film directed and co-written by Todd Haynes. The film tells the story of a pop star based mainly on David Bowie's 'Ziggy Stardust' character and is set in Britain during the days of glam rock in the early 1970s.Sandy Powell received another Academy...
, but only one song was featured on the soundtrack (1998), as well as another on Beyond Cyberpunk a Wayne Kramer (MC5) assembled CD compilation (2001).
External links
- Interview with Ron Asheton in Sept 2007, Radio France International
- Ron Asheton discography at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
. - Ron Asheton- Stooges Interview with Perfect Sound ForeverPerfect Sound Forever (magazine)Perfect Sound Forever is one of the longest-running online-only music magazines . Along with Michael Goldberg's Addicted to Noise Perfect Sound Forever (est. 1995) is one of the longest-running online-only music magazines . Along with Michael Goldberg's Addicted to Noise Perfect Sound Forever...
. - Ron Asheton: Calling From The Funhouse at the i94Bar.
- Iggy and the Stooges: An Interview With Ron Asheton at SuicideGirlsSuicideGirlsSuicideGirls is a website that features softcore pornography and text profiles of goth, punk and indie-styled young women who are known as the "Suicide Girls"...
(2007). - Ron Asheton profile at NNDBNNDBThe Notable Names Database , produced by Soylent Communications, the same entity that produces Rotten, Daily Rotten, Dr. Sputnik's Society Pages and Penny Postcards, is an online database of biographical details of over 36,000 people of note...
. - Obituary in Chicago TribuneChicago TribuneThe Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
- Tribute and Photos Steve Gerrard Photography
- Ron Asheton Signature Guitar at Reverend GuitarsReverend guitarsReverend Musical Instruments, commonly known as Reverend, is an American manufacturer of electric guitars. The company was established in 1996 by noted guitar and amplifier technician Joe Naylor, a graduate of the Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery...
- Ron Asheton on Arborwiki