Рон Ашетон: Панк-рок мұрасы және өмірінің жолы

American rock musician (1948–2009)

Ronald Franklin Asheton was born July 17, 1948, in Washington, D. C. 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.

By 1967, Asheton was jamming with his brother Scott and friend Dave Alexander. They were soon joined by 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 (1969) and 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. 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 and was replaced by Williamson.

Apart from The Stooges, Asheton also played in the bands The New Order (not the UK band New Order), 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, 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's final song "3 Stooges" appeared during the credits of the 2012 comedy film The Three Stooges. 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. Following the band's 1974 breakup, Asheton returned to Ann Arbor and lived most of the rest of his life living with his mother. Sonic Youth's album The Eternal is dedicated to him. His brother 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 of Gumball.