Ron Asheton | Punk-rock pioneer, 60

Ron Asheton, 60, the guitarist for the Stooges whose raw sound helped inspire the first generation of punk musicians, has died.

Police, who found Mr. Asheton's body at his Ann Arbor, Mich., home Tuesday, said the death appeared to be of natural causes.

Along with his brother, Scott, Mr. Asheton was a founding member of the Stooges, the influential proto-punk band formed in Ann Arbor in 1967. The lead singer was Iggy Pop.

His powerful, distorted guitar was a hallmark of the group's sound. His "technically adept but also beautifully raw" style was heavily influenced by free jazz and created "beauty out of noise," said Brian Cogan, a punk-music historian at Molloy College on New York's Long Island. - AP