BY THE TIME YOU READ THIS , THERE WILL PROBABLY BE  A LOT  MORE INFO AVAILABLE.....

Scott Asheton , aka "Rock Action" , had been in failing health for over a year , forcing him to go on sabbatical from The Stooges. He did appear at a concert shown on the internet several months to a year ago , but , I don't know if he played any other gigs with the band , after that.

Besides burnin' to ya with the Big Bad Beat STRAIGHT FROM Hell in every incarnation of The Stooges (Barring his , intended as temporary , replacement by Larry Mullens - whose picture appeared in two internet obits. How hard was it to find a photo of the actual deceased?!) , Scotts Asheton also played in heavy hitters , The Sonics Rendezvous Band , Dark Carnival , Scot's Pirates/Scott Morgan Band (Basically SRB minus Fred "Sonic" Smith.) and projects involving Sonny Vincent , and others.      I almost had a chance to meet him , once , bu t, I admit , I froze when he got in my range. ROCK FUCKIN' ACTION !!!!! BAAAAAAAD MOTHERFUCKER !!!!!

Such sad news...
There will be a definite memorial Stooges marathon playing in my house all day.

......I just have'nt been playing a lot of music , lately. I have'nt even listened to 'black monk time".

But , for some reason , the news about Asheton shook me up , though I did'nt know him. Some of my friends knew and worked with him , though , and always spoke highly of him. I was graciously invited by my good friend , Derek See , who worked with the Stooges , to attend the after party when THE BAND PLAYED HERE HE SUMMER OF '10 , I believe it was....I got to meet James Williamson and Steven McKay , briefly , which was very cool , but , Scott had family and friends with him , including his Daughter , so , I knew better than to disturb him....HE WAS GETTING UP TO REJOIN HIS FAMILY , BACKSTAGE, and he got up to leave. I JUST WANTED TO Say "Hi", tell him it was a great show but he seemed to be staring right through me, even with his shades on. I'm sure he was just as nice as my friends had told me , but I did not want to get in the way of his getting back to his family and friends , evenfor a few seconds. He still looked as tuff as he did in his 20's. Still intimidating , without trying to be. I usually don't freeze up like that. I did , once , with Steve Cropper , but he came around and talked to me.......Not much of a story , but , there it is... I saw Scott twice in the 80's with The Scott Morgan Band. His playing was somewhat restrained.  My friend , the late Bob Mulrooney (aka Bootsey X) , sang with Dark Carnival , and told me Scott had been taking Jazz drumming lessons , just to feel more confident and consistent about his playing. When The Stooges finally reformed , it was plain to tell , his attack was harder - hitting , and his embellishments were tasteful. Thank Jazz.   I went to the Clarkeston , Michigan "Homecoming" show (That had been postponed for a week , when the power in Detroit , New York , PARTS OF Canada , etc. , went out.) in 2003 , then saw them a second time , with Ron , 5 years later , and twice with James , IN cHICAGO. LARRY MULLENS WAS SUBBING FOR  Scott at the Riot Fest in 2012 , and he did a fine job , but it was always implied that Scott would eventually be well enough to return to the Drummer's chair.    

Apparently Scott Morgan is seriously ill. 

Played the Stooges and The Sonics Rendezvous Band all day in memoriam when I saw Iggy's notice about Scott. But play the Stooges pretty everyday anyway. Just not all day.

I WISH THIS CYCLE WOULD STOP !!! - Gary Burger , Scott Asheton , Fred Cole (Who I heard is improving.) and Michael Haskins from The Nervebreakers (Also reportedly doing better,.), now , Scott Morgan , not just a fantastic talent , but a real gent. The Scott Morgan Band was basically Sonics Rendezvous Band , minus a still - living Fred Smith....But , the energy was'nt there when I saw 'em. tHEIR SECOND ALBUM , AS SCOT'S PIRATES ,"REVOLUTIONARY MEANS" KILLS ! Obviously Scott had checked out Wayne Kramer's recent stuff , and dusted off his wah - wah pedal. i MET GARY RASMUSSEN AT THE STOOGES' SHOW in Clarkston , Michigan. He was originally supposed to be their Bass player , had they reformed , as Iggy originally announced , in '96 or '97.

In the past, whenever someone asked me what I was looking for in a drummer, I'd always say, " Someone that sounds like the guy from the Stooges!" They've always been one of my favorite bands, and I was lucky enough to see Scott's last gig at Austin City Limits. It thoroughly bums me out that both of the Asheton brothers are gone.

....That's a TALL order , but, if you can find a drummer that playes like ROCK MOTHERFUCKIN' ACTION , then ,you've really got something. As I think I noted , I nearly met Scott , but , he was between holding court with friends and going back to join his family. Plus, he kinda scared the shit out of me.  He still looked like a baaaaaaaaad motherfucker , head to toe , which he still was.  Some of my friends worked with him , and became good friends of his , and they noted what a cool and truly unique individual he was.    The Stooges were on Austin City Limits? Has that aired? That's news to me......I saw them at the "Homecoming" concert in '03 in Clarkston , Michigan . Then , 4 or 5 years later ,they finally played Chicago , at The Congress , famous for it's atrocious acoustics. When iGGY WENT OUT IN THE CROWD , TOO , THEY DID'NT HAVE A SPOTLIGHT ON HIM. Hey , it's got acoustics just made for Mexican Wrestling , that's about it. Then , they played at The Riviera , with James Williamson back in the fold. In 2012 , they also played the Riot Fest , here , but with Larry Mullens playing in Scott's place. All these shows were great , though the Congress gig should have been somewhere else. SOME of us cared how it sounded , anyway......I also saw Scott , twice , with The Scott Morgan Band  , but , it was before they started getting back to Stooges/MC5 roots. They almost sounded like a Coutry Rock band  .

Yeah, I've heard even the dudes from Black Flag were intimidated by him.  I don't know if that particular show has ever aired or not, but yeah, Austin City Limits is where I saw them.  That was 2012, I wanna say around September or something like that.

Scott was playing with them , that late ? He'd already taken ill , by then. I know he briefly got behind the drumkit again , several months later , at some big outdoor show , which aired live on the internet. He , sadly , did not sound up to the task. I don't know how many gigs he still played after he got sick.

Well , Black Flag , I'm not surprised. Henry's badass routine was always so contrived. I'm not saying he's not very knowledgeable in the real fighting arts , and that he could'nt clobber me with both hands behind his back , using only his nose , but , I saw him , once , coming out of a 7-11 in '87.    His eyes flared up at me , like "I'M GONNA KILL YOU , MOTHERFUCKER !'',  before I even walked in the door . When he realized I knew who he was , he was actually very friendly. 

But , Scott was the real deal , from Detroit.

P.S. - ALL NON - FANS OF BORING JAM BANDS WHOSE MUSIC NEVER GETS OFF THE GROUND , AVOID GREG GINN's Solo project.

 

 

RIP to Scott:(:(:(