View source for Ron Asheton

{{Short description|American rock musician (1948–2009)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2014}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name              = Ron Asheton
| image             = American musician Ron Asheton.png
| alt               = 
| caption           = Asheton in 1969
| background        = non_vocal_instrumentalist
| birth_name        = Ronald Franklin Asheton
| alias             = 
| birth_date        = {{birth date|1948|7|17}}
| birth_place       = Washington, D.C., US<ref name="mlive.com">{{cite web |first=Art |last=Aisner |url=http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2009/01/stooges_guitarist_ron_asheton.html |title=Stooges' guitarist Ron Asheton found dead in his Ann Arbor home |website=[[MLive]].com |date=January 6, 2009 |access-date=February 27, 2012}}</ref>
| death_date        = c. {{death date and age|2009|1|6|1948|7|17}}
| death_place       = [[Ann Arbor, Michigan]], US<ref name="mlive.com"/>
| instrument        = {{hlist|Guitar|bass guitar|vocals}}
| genre             = {{hlist|[[Punk rock]]|[[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]]|[[hard rock]]|[[garage rock]]|[[proto-punk]]}}
| occupation        = {{hlist|Musician|songwriter}}
| years_active      = 1963–2009
| label             = {{hlist|[[Elektra Records|Elektra]]|[[Columbia Records|Columbia]]|[[Virgin Records|Virgin]]}}
| past_member_of    = {{hlist|[[The Stooges]]|[[The New Order (band)|The New Order]]|[[Destroy All Monsters (band)|Destroy All Monsters]]|[[New Race]]|[[Wylde Ratttz]]}}
| website           = 
}}

'''Ronald Franklin Asheton''' (July 17, 1948 – [[Wiktionary:circa|c.]] January 6, 2009)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nme.com/news/the-stooges/41900 |title=Stooges guitarist Ron Asheton found dead |website=[[NME.com]] |date=January 6, 2009 |access-date=February 27, 2012}}</ref> was an American musician, best known as the guitarist, bassist, and co-songwriter for the rock band [[the Stooges]]. He formed the band along with [[Iggy Pop]] and his brother, drummer [[Scott Asheton]], and bassist [[Dave Alexander (musician)|Dave Alexander]] in 1967. The band is regarded as the seminal [[proto-punk]] band and a major influence on the [[punk rock]] genre with the albums ''[[The Stooges (album)|The Stooges]]'' (1969), ''[[Fun House (The Stooges album)|Fun House]]'' (1970) and ''[[Raw Power]]'' (1973).<ref name="all">{{cite web |last=Erlewine, Stephen Thomas |author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine |title=The Stooges biography |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-stooges-mn0000562304/biography |access-date=July 15, 2015 |website=[[AllMusic]]}}</ref><ref name="ult">{{cite web |last=Galluci |first=Michael |date=7 July 2015 |title=The Story of the Stooges' Pre-Punk Milestone 'Fun House' |url=http://ultimateclassicrock.com/stooges-fun-house/ |access-date=2017-03-01 |website=Ultimate Guitar}}</ref><ref name="SIR">{{cite web |date=1 December 2014 |title=Anacronistic: The Stooges (Punk Rock) |url=http://www.stillinrock.com/2014/12/anachronique-stooges-punk-rock.html |access-date=2015-03-31 |website=Still in Rock (Brooklyn, NY) |language=fr}}</ref> Following break-ups in 1971 and 1974, the Stooges reformed in 2003 and Asheton remained with the band until his death from a heart attack on January 6, 2009. Asheton was inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] in 2010 as a member of the Stooges, and ranked as number 29 and 60 on ''[[Rolling Stone]]''<nowiki/>'s list of 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time in 2010 and 2015 respectively.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2009-12-15 |title=The Stooges, ABBA Inducted Into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/37395-the-stooges-abba-inducted-into-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame/ |access-date=2023-12-21 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-guitarists-of-all-time-19691231/ron-asheton-20101202 |first=David |last=Fricke |title=100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=December 2, 2010 |access-date=February 27, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-guitarists-20111123/ron-asheton-20111122 |title=Ron Asheton - 100 Greatest Guitarists |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=December 18, 2015 |access-date=May 5, 2016}}</ref>

== Early life ==
Ronald Franklin Asheton was born July 17, 1948, in [[Washington, D.C.]]<ref name="mlive.com" /> He described his household as heavily musical, and described his family as his first big musical influence. His first instrument was a violin which was given by his mother, he was then gifted an accordion at age 5, of which he practiced more seriously with. At age 10 he took up both guitar and bass which ultimately took the majority of his practice time and interest.

He described himself as a child different compared to others kids his age, as a majority of kids that lived in his area were more interested in sports and physical activities, while he spent his time listening to music and practicing on guitar and bass. When he was 13, the family relocated to [[Ann Arbor, Michigan]]. He and his brother Scott attended [[Pioneer High School (Ann Arbor, Michigan)|Pioneer High School]].

He played with some local bands including the Prime Movers and The Chosen Few (briefly overlapping with [[James Williamson (musician)|James Williamson]], later of the Stooges). He met Iggy Pop soon after and they formed the hard rock band the Stooges.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/jan/08/obituary-ron-asheton-stooges|title=Obituary: Ron Asheton|last=Laing|first=Dave|date=2009-01-08|website=the Guardian|language=en|access-date=2018-02-21}}</ref> Like his father who was a Marine, Ron had a strong interest in [[military history]], including a controversial albeit [[apolitical]] obsession with collecting [[Nazi memorabilia]].
<ref name="Kaufman">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/27/magazine/27Asheton-t.html|title=Ron Asheton: Quiet Punk|last=Kaufman|first=Dan|date=2009-12-23|website=The New York Times|language=en|access-date=2019-12-23}}</ref>

==The Stooges==
{{main|The Stooges}}{{Unreferenced section|date=February 2018}}
[[File:Ron Asheton, 1970.png|left|thumb|Asheton with his brother in 1970]]
By 1967, Asheton was jamming with his brother [[Scott Asheton|Scott]] and friend [[Dave Alexander (musician)|Dave Alexander]]. They were soon joined by [[Iggy Pop|James "Iggy" Osterberg]] who remembered Asheton from the Chosen Few. The "Psychedelic Stooges" played their first show [[Halloween]] 1967. In 1968, they were signed to [[Elektra Records]] along with [[MC5]] by [[Danny Fields]]. He played guitar on and wrote most of the music for their first two albums, debut album ''[[The Stooges (album)|The Stooges]]'' (1969) and ''[[Fun House (The Stooges album)|Fun House]]'' (1970). Shortly after recording ''Fun House'', a second guitarist was added to the band, initially former [[roadie]] [[Bill Cheatham]], who was shortly thereafter replaced by [[James Williamson (musician)|James Williamson]]. Infighting between Asheton and Williamson, whom he saw as usurping his role as songwriter and lead guitarist, as well as the toll of extensive drug use, caused the band to break up in 1971.

In 1972, [[David Bowie]] invited Pop and Williamson to London to reform the band and record a new album. Eventually, after being unable to find suitable local replacements, Pop invited the Asheton brothers to rejoin but with Ron on bass, a role Ron accepted only begrudgingly. The resulting album, ''[[Raw Power]]'', sold poorly initially, but has since been seen as a seminal album in the development of what would later be called [[punk rock]]. Tensions and drug use had not gone away during the brief reunion, however, and the band would disintegrate again in February 1974. Several more releases continued sporadically during the next several decades, mostly recordings of live shows, album remixes, and collections of unreleased recordings, but the Stooges would not tour or record again during the 20th century.

When the Stooges reformed in 2003 he once again appeared as the band's guitarist. He stayed with the band until his death on January 6, 2009 and was replaced by Williamson.

==Post-Stooges==
[[File:Iggy and the Stooges - Sziget Fesztivál, 2006.08.15 (4).jpg|thumb|Ron Asheton playing at Sziget Festival]]
Apart from The Stooges, Asheton also played in the bands [[The New Order (band)|The New Order]] (not the UK band [[New Order (band)|New Order]]), [[Destroy All Monsters (band)|Destroy All Monsters]], Dark Carnival, [[New Race]] and The Empty Set.

More recently he played with [[Wylde Ratttz]], a band composed of some of punk and alt-rock's most renowned and respected musicians. The band included [[Mike Watt]] of [[Minutemen (band)|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 "[[Fun House (The Stooges album)#Track listing|T.V. Eye]]" to the soundtrack for the [[Todd Haynes]] film ''[[Velvet Goldmine]]'', which starred [[Ewan McGregor]] and [[Jonathan Rhys Meyers]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120879/soundtrack |title=Velvet Goldmine (1998) – Soundtracks |website=IMDb}}</ref> Asheton's final song "3 Stooges" appeared during the credits of the 2012 comedy film ''[[The Three Stooges (2012 film)|The Three Stooges]]''.

Asheton also acted, appearing with ''[[The Texas Chain Saw Massacre]]'' star [[Gunnar Hansen]] in ''[[Mosquito (film)|Mosquito]]'', which was released 1995. He also appeared in two other films: ''[[Frostbiter: Wrath of the Wendigo]]'' and ''[[Legion of the Night]]''.

Following the band's 1974 breakup, Ron Asheton returned to Ann Arbor, Michigan and spent most of the rest of his life living with his mother in her large house. He was an avid collector of horror movies, military history books and Nazi memorabilia and regalia, which included uniforms, medals, pins and a Nazi flag.<ref name="Kaufman"/>

==Death==

During the early hours of January 6, 2009, police were summoned to Asheton's home in [[Ann Arbor, Michigan]], by his personal assistant, who had been unable to reach him for several days. Asheton was found dead in his bed, apparently having died of a [[myocardial infarction|heart attack]].<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2009/01/06/the-stooges-guitarist-ron-asheton-found-dead-at-60/
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090114111858/http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2009/01/06/the-stooges-guitarist-ron-asheton-found-dead-at-60/ |archive-date=January 14, 2009 |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |title=The Stooges Guitarist Ron Asheton Found Dead At 60 |first=Daniel |last=Kreps |date=January 6, 2009 |url-status=dead
|access-date=May 5, 2016}}</ref> [[Sonic Youth]]'s album ''[[The Eternal (album)|The Eternal]]'' is dedicated to him.

His brother [[Scott Asheton|Scott]] died on March 15, 2014, also from a heart attack.

On July 17, 2018, for what would have been Asheton's 70th birthday, a tribute concert was held in his hometown of Ann Arbor, Michigan, featuring [[Mike Watt]]; [[Dinosaur Jr]]'s [[J Mascis]]; [[Kim Gordon]] of [[Sonic Youth]] and [[Free Kitten]]; [[Mark Arm]] of [[Mudhoney]]; [[Jennifer Herrema]] of [[Royal Trux]]; [[Mario Rubalcaba]] of [[Hot Snakes]]; and [[Don Fleming (musician)|Don Fleming]] of [[Gumball (band)|Gumball]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Sacher|first=Andrew|title=J Mascis, Mike Watt, Kim Gordon, Mark Arm & more playing Ron Asheton tribute|url=http://www.brooklynvegan.com/j-mascis-mike-watt-kim-gordon-mark-arm-more-playing-ron-asheton-tribute/|website=[[Brooklyn Vegan]]|date= June 14, 2018|access-date=March 23, 2019}}</ref>

[[File:Ron A and Niagara.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Asheton, [[Niagara (artist)|Niagara]] and unidentified drummer, Destroy All Monsters, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA, Spring of 1982]]

== Discography ==
;With the Stooges
* ''[[The Stooges (album)|The Stooges]]'' (1969)
* ''[[Fun House (The Stooges album)|Fun House]]'' (1970)
* ''[[Raw Power]]'' (1973)
* ''[[The Weirdness]]'' (2007)

;With [[The New Order (band)|The New Order]]
* ''New Order'' (1977)
* ''Victim of Circumstance'' (1989)
* ''Declaration of War'' (1990)

;With [[Destroy All Monsters (band)|Destroy All Monsters]]
* ''November 22, 1963'' (1989)
* Bored (1999) – recorded in 1978

;With [[New Race]]
* ''[[The First and the Last (album)|The First and the Last]]'' (1982)
* ''[[The First To Pay]]'' (1989)
* ''[[The Second Wave (New Race)|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 played the double tracked guitar solo (referred to as a "guitar duet" in the liner notes) on [[Ragnar Kvaran]]'s 1981 recording, ''Wrecked on Love.''<ref>Ragnar Kvaran ''Wrecked on Love'', A.T.C. Records, 1981</ref><br>
He 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 (film)|Mosquito]]''. Some other tracks Asheton wrote had been recorded by the group "Wylde Ratttz", for the original score of the 1998 movie ''[[Velvet Goldmine]]'', but only one song was featured on the soundtrack. He contributed another song to ''Beyond Cyberpunk'', a 2001 compilation assembled and produced by [[Wayne Kramer]] of [[MC5]].

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{cite web |url=http://www1.rfi.fr/actuen/articles/109/article_2601.asp |title=Stooges guitarist Ron Asheton found dead |first=Daniel |last=Brown |website=[[Radio France Internationale]] |year=2009}}
* {{cite web |url=https://www.discogs.com/artist/310484-Ron-Asheton |title=Ron Asheton Discography |website=[[Discogs]] |year=2016}}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.furious.com/perfect/ronasheton.html |title=Ron Asheton - Stooges interview |first=Jason |last=Gross |website=[[Perfect Sound Forever (magazine)|Perfect Sound Forever]] |year=2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060616003447/http://furious.com/perfect/ronasheton.html |archive-date=June 16, 2006 |df=mdy }}
* {{cite web |url=https://www.suicidegirls.com/girls/erin_broadley/blog/2679820/iggy-and-the-stooges-an-interview-with-ron-asheton/ |title=Iggy and the Stooges: An Interview With Ron Asheton |first=Erin |last=Broadley |website=[[SuicideGirls]] |date=April 3, 2007}}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.nndb.com/people/893/000118539/ |title=Ron Asheton |website=[[NNDB]] |year=2014}}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/chicagotribune/obituary.aspx?page=lifestory&pid=122274763 |title=Ron Asheton Obituary |website=Chicago Tribune |year=2009}}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.reverendguitars.com/instrument/ron-asheton-signature/ |title=Ron Asheton Signature |website=[[Reverend Guitars]] |year=2016}}
* {{LocalWiki|ann-arbor|Ron_Asheton}}

{{The Stooges}}
{{2010 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Asheton, Ron}}
[[Category:American punk rock guitarists]]
[[Category:American lead guitarists]]
[[Category:Guitarists from Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:Musicians from Ann Arbor, Michigan]]
[[Category:American protopunk musicians]]
[[Category:The Stooges members]]
[[Category:1948 births]]
[[Category:2009 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century American male musicians]]
[[Category:Guitarists from Michigan]]
[[Category:The New Order (band) members]]
[[Category:20th-century American guitarists]]
[[Category:New Race members]]
[[Category:Destroy All Monsters (band) members]]
[[Category:21st-century American guitarists]]
[[Category:21st-century American male musicians]]
[[Category:Pioneer High School (Ann Arbor, Michigan) alumni]]