“He seemed a little young for this to happen but you don’t get to pick your time,” Stooges guitar player James Williamson said somberly during an interview with Glide Monday, two days following the death of his bandmate, Scott Asheton. An original member of the now iconic punk band, Asheton and his bass playing brother Ron, who passed away in 2009, created the foundation upon which frontman Iggy Pop could blaze a new trail in music. With the sonic addition of Williamson in 1970, The Stooges released their third album, Raw Power, in February of 1973, although it would take years for it’s power and influence to be duly recognized, and the Stooges disbanded a year later.
“There are so many happy memories with him,” Williamson recounted. “I used to be his roommate back in Ann Arbor. We shared everything together … but I’ve had many, many good times with him and he was certainly a drummer that was unequaled in his own style. Stylistically, I think he was totally unique. It was truly a pleasure playing with him and we all will miss him.”
“I think the last time we played [together] was when we made the record last year, Ready To Die,” Williamson continued. “I produced that record and so I had him in the studio doing drums so I played with him quite a bit during that record.” In a statement released on Sunday, Pop reiterated Williamson’s assessment of Asheton’s talent: “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.”
Scott Asheton, who was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 2010, passed away on Saturday, March 15, 2014, at the age of 64.
The full interview with James Williamson will be published on March 24 in the MY ROOTS column of Glide.
