On This Day in 1975, the World Lost the Founding Bassist of the Band That Influenced the Ramones, the Sex Pistols, and Other Early Punk Rockers

On this day (February 10) in 1975, Dave Alexander, former bassist of The Stooges, died of pulmonary edema in Ann Arbor, Michigan, at the age of 27. Alexander’s musical career was short-lived. He formed The Stooges along with Ron and Scott Asheton and Iggy Pop in the late 1960s. After his stint with the band came to an end, he retired from music altogether.

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Alexander’s family relocated from Whitmore Lake, Michigan, to Ann Arbor. There, he attended high school and became friends with the Asheton brothers–Scott and Ron. In 1967, the trio met Jim Ostenberg, a college dropout who had played drums for a handful of Chicago-based blues musicians as well as The Iguanas and The Prime Movers, according to Please Kill Me. Ostenberg, who is now better known as Iggy Pop, and the Asheton brothers decided to start a band.

[RELATED: The Meaning Behind “I Wanna Be Your Dog” by The Stooges: How Iggy Pop’s Big Idea Led to Punk Rock]

Ron played guitar, Scott played drums, and Pop was their singer. Alexander rounded out the lineup on bass. He wasn’t as skilled as his bandmates. Fortunately, though, he was a quick learner. As a result, he composed multiple songs on the band’s first two albums–The Stooges and Fun House.

Alexander was fired from the band in August 1970, a month after the band’s sophomore record hit shelves. His drinking was becoming a problem and led to him missing multiple band practices. The final straw, though, was when he showed up drunk to play the Goose Lake International Music Festival.

Alexander’s music career ended with his time in The Stooges. Less than five years later, he was dead.

Iggy Pop Remembers Dave Alexander at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

The Stooges were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010. During their acceptance speech, Iggy Pop paid tribute to his late friend and former bassist.

“We three here are the surviving Stooges,” Pop said. “Ron and Dave would have gotten a big kick out of this. Ron was pissed off that it didn’t happen while he was alive.”

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