[Deathwatch] Ron Asheton, musician, 60

[Deathwatch Central <cdw@slick.org>]

Stooges guitarist Asheton found dead in Ann Arbor

DETROIT (Reuters) ? Ron Asheton, a guitarist and founding member of the
influential rock band The Stooges, was found dead at his home in Ann
Arbor, Michigan on Tuesday, police said.

Asheton, 60, was found on his couch and appeared to have been dead for
several days, Ann Arbor Police Sgt. Brad Hill said.

"We do not expect foul play," Hill said.

Police were called to Asheton's home shortly after midnight after an
acquaintance reported that he had been unable to contact him for
several days.

Asheton's brother, Scott, is the drummer for The Stooges. The pair were
founding members of the band formed in 1967 in Ann Arbor along with
front-man Iggy Pop.

Known for a violent and primitive style that featured stage-diving and
outrageous antics by Pop, The Stooges were part of a late 1960s
Detroit-area rock scene that also included the MC5.

The Stooges broke up in 1974 after three albums, limited commercial
success and mounting drug problems for Pop.

But backed by Asheton's guitar riffs on songs such as "I Wanna Be Your
Dog" and "TV Eye," the band's music has been credited as a powerful
influence on a wide range of punk and alternative bands including The
Sex Pistols, The Ramones and The White Stripes.

After The Stooges broke up, Asheton acted in a series of low-budget
horror films in the 1980s and 1990s.

Asheton, ranked as the 29th greatest rock guitarist by Rolling Stone,
rejoined The Stooges when the band reunited in 2003 and for the 2007
comeback album, "The Weirdness."

The band has been nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall
of Fame.

Many thanks to Deathwatch Central for posting this obituary