The rock and punk world has lost one of the greats as Stooges drummer Scott Asheton has passed away at the age of 64. Stooges frontman Iggy Pop revealed the news to fans via a post on his Facebook page, revealing that the drummer died Saturday night (March 15).

Asheton joined Pop and his late brother Ron as part of the original Stooges lineup in 1967. During their tenure, they released the classic albums 'The Stooges,' 'Fun House' and 'Raw Power' and such memorable songs as 'I Wanna Be Your Dog,' 'No Fun' and 'Search & Destroy.'

The Stooges, regarded by many as the godfathers of punk rock, split in 1974, but both Asheton brothers were part of the Stooges reunion in 2003. Ron Asheton, who was the band's original guitarist and also played bass at times, died in 2009. Scott Asheton manned the kit for The Stooges until 2011 when a stroke caused his temporary retirement from live duty. The Stooges were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010.

Pop's message about Scott Asheton reads as follows:

My dear friend Scott Asheton passed away last night.
Scott was a great artist, I have never heard anyone play the drums with more meaning than Scott Asheton. He was like my brother. He and Ron have left a huge legacy to the world. The Asheton's have always been and continue to be a second family to me.
My thoughts are with his sister Kathy, his wife Liz and his daughter Leanna, who was the light of his life.
Iggy Pop

On top of his time with The Stooges, Scott Asheton also performed with Sonic's Rendezvous Band and appeared on four Sonny Vincent albums. Upon his return to The Stooges, Scott Asheton appeared on 'The Weirdness' and 'Ready to Die' albums.

Update: Rockers such as Dave Grohl, Flea, Henry Rollins and others have paid tribute to Scott Asheton via Twitter. Their Tweets can be seen below:

Watch Iggy & the Stooges Perform 'I Wanna Be Your Dog' at Reading 2005

 

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