Touching words from a lifelong friend.

Scott Asheton, the Stooges drummer known as ‘Rock Action,’ died from a heart attack over the weekend. Speaking to Rolling Stone, bandmate Iggy Pop reminisces about meeting, playing and working with Asheton over the past five decades.

“Scott played drums with a boxer’s authority. When he wanted to, he had a heavy hand on the drums… He brought a swinging truth to the music he played and extreme musical honesty,” Pop says. “Scott just had a certain dignity about him and everyone was always glad to have him in the room. He looked like he could be a tough customer, but I never even heard of him flicking a fly.”

Pop seems ready to move on from the Stooges, who reunited in 2003. “I don’t want to say that I’m done with the band. I would just say that I feel like the group has always included the Asheton brothers. When Ron passed away, Scott represented him. Nearly everything we play, Ron played on originally. I don’t feel right now like there’s any reason for me to go jumping out onstage in tight Levi’s. What am I going to scream about?”

The piece ends on a touching note: “[Scott] started playing with Ron in their basement with a little equipment and some dreams. Now they’re back together again in some sense.” Scott’s brother Ron, the Stooges’ guitarist, passed away in 2009.