Ron Asheton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ron Asheton
Asheton in 1970
Background information
Birth name	Ronald Franklin Asheton
Born	(1948-07-17)July 17, 1948 Washington, D.C., US
Died	c. January 6, 2009(2009-01-06) (aged 60) Ann Arbor, Michigan, US
Genres	Punk rock heavy metal
Occupation(s)	Musician songwriter
Instruments	Guitar bass guitar vocals
Years active	1963–2009
Labels	Elektra Columbia Virgin

Ronald Franklin Asheton (born July 17, 1948 – died around January 6, 2009) was an American musician. He was best known as the guitarist, bassist, and a songwriter for the rock band The Stooges. He helped create The Stooges with Iggy Pop, his brother Scott Asheton (who played drums), and bassist Dave Alexander.

Ron Asheton was a very talented guitarist. Rolling Stone magazine once ranked him among the top 100 greatest guitarists of all time.

Ron Asheton's Early Life

Ronald Franklin Asheton was born on July 17, 1948, in Washington, D.C.. He grew up in a home filled with music. He said his family was his first big musical inspiration. His first instrument was a violin, given to him by his mother. When he was 5, he received an accordion and practiced it seriously. By age 10, he started playing both guitar and bass. These instruments quickly became his main focus.

Ron felt different from other kids his age. While many of his friends were into sports, he spent his time listening to music and practicing his guitar and bass. When he was 13, his family moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan. He and his brother Scott went to Pioneer High School there.

Before The Stooges, Ron played in local bands like the Prime Movers. He also briefly played with The Chosen Few. It was around this time that he met Iggy Pop. Soon after, they formed the hard rock band The Stooges. Ron also had a strong interest in military history, just like his father, who was a Marine.

Ron Asheton and The Stooges

By 1967, Ron Asheton was playing music with his brother Scott and their friend Dave Alexander. Soon, James "Iggy" Osterberg joined them. Iggy knew Ron from The Chosen Few. Their band, first called "Psychedelic Stooges," played their first show on Halloween in 1967.

In 1968, they signed with Elektra Records. Ron played guitar and wrote most of the music for their first two albums. These were The Stooges (released in 1969) and Fun House (released in 1970). After recording Fun House, another guitarist, James Williamson, joined the band. Ron and James had disagreements, which led to the band breaking up in 1971.

In 1972, musician David Bowie invited Iggy Pop and James Williamson to London. He wanted them to reform the band and record a new album. When they couldn't find other musicians, Iggy asked the Asheton brothers to rejoin. Ron agreed to play bass guitar, even though he preferred guitar. The album they made was Raw Power. It didn't sell well at first. However, it later became a very important album in the history of punk rock. The band's disagreements continued, and they broke up again in February 1974.

The Stooges reunited in 2003, and Ron Asheton returned as the band's guitarist. He stayed with the band until his death in 2009. After his passing, James Williamson took his place.

Ron Asheton's Other Projects

Ron Asheton playing at Sziget Festival in 2006.

Besides The Stooges, Ron Asheton played in several other bands. These included The New Order (not the UK band New Order), Destroy All Monsters, Dark Carnival, New Race, and The Empty Set.

He also played with a band called Wylde Ratttz. This group included famous musicians from punk and alternative rock. Some members were Mike Watt of Minutemen, J. Mascis of Dinosaur Jr., Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth, and Mark Arm of Mudhoney. Wylde Ratttz recorded a cover of The Stooges' song "T.V. Eye" for the movie Velvet Goldmine. Ron Asheton's last song, "3 Stooges," was featured in the credits of the 2012 comedy film The Three Stooges.

Ron Asheton also tried acting. He appeared in the movie Mosquito (1995) with Gunnar Hansen, who was famous from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. He also acted in two other films: Frostbiter: Wrath of the Wendigo and Legion of the Night.

After The Stooges broke up in 1974, Ron Asheton moved back to Ann Arbor. He lived with his mother for most of the rest of his life.

Ron Asheton's Passing

Ron Asheton was found dead at his home in Ann Arbor, Michigan on January 6, 2009. The band Sonic Youth dedicated their album The Eternal to him.

His brother Scott Asheton, who was also a member of The Stooges, passed away on March 15, 2014. He also died from a heart attack.

On July 17, 2018, a special concert was held in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It was to celebrate what would have been Ron Asheton's 70th birthday. Many musicians performed, including Mike Watt, J Mascis, Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth, and Mark Arm.

Discography

With The Stooges

• The Stooges (1969)
• Fun House (1970)
• Raw Power (1973)
• The Weirdness (2007)

With The New Order

• New Order (1977)
• Victim of Circumstance (1989)
• Declaration of War (1990)

With Destroy All Monsters

• November 22, 1963 (1989)
• Bored (1999) – recorded in 1978

With New Race

• The First and the Last (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

Ron Asheton played a guitar solo on Ragnar Kvaran's 1981 recording, Wrecked on Love. He also helped write the song "Hit Them Again" on the album Radios Appear (1977) by Radio Birdman. He wrote other songs for the band "Wylde Ratttz" for the movie Velvet Goldmine, though only one song was on the soundtrack. He also contributed a song to Beyond Cyberpunk, a 2001 music collection.

Images for kids

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  Asheton, Niagara and an unidentified drummer, Destroy All Monsters, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA, Spring of 1982