Pitchfork

According to the Ann Arbor News, Stooges guitarist Ron Asheton was found dead this morning in his home on the city's west side. Asheton's personal assistant contacted police last night after not being able to reach him. Police found his body on his living room couch, and he appeared to have died several days ago. No causes have been reported yet, but police don't suspect foul play. Asheton was 60 years old.

Along with his brother, drummer Scott, Asheton was one of the four founding members of the Stooges, and he stayed with the band throughout its ridiculously influential initial seven-year run, from 1967 to 1974. On Raw Power, the band's third album, he gave up the guitarist spot to new member James Williamson, switching instead to bass. After the band's breakup, Asheton did time with bands like Destroy All Monsters and New Race. Asheton reunited with the Stooges in 2003, first appearing on Iggy Pop's Skull Ring and then on the much-bashed 2007 reunion album The Weirdness.

Asheton's influence on music cannot be overstated: Pitchfork's Stuart Berman has described the Stooges' collective guitar work with "help[ing] spawn every guitar-based subgenre you'll find in a reputable record store: glam, metal, punk, goth, hardcore, indie rock, shoegazer, stoner-rock and noise."