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There’s a scene in “School of Rock” where drummer Freddy Jones asks his bassist Katie to name two great “drummers.” Katie promptly replies, “Sheila E? Meg White from the White Stripes?” Freddy is horrified. “She can’t drum!” To which Katie counters: “She’s better than you! At least she has rhythm.”
The film was released in October 2003, six months after the White Stripes landmark “Elephant,” the explosive garage rock album that won Jack and Meg White multiple Grammys and made them superstars.
Fans discussed their flashy outfits and the mystery of their relationship – siblings or ex-couple? (The latter.)
Time for recognition
But many conversations went like in a movie. Endless debates about whether Meg was “good enough.” This week it will finally be over: The White Stripes will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Meg finally gets the respect she deserves.
Almost 15 years after the breakup, people are still arguing about Meg White’s drumming. A viral tweet calling her “terrible” two years ago sparked a storm of outrage. Jack White, Questlove and many other musicians joined her. Karen Elson, Jack’s ex-wife, summed it up best. “Keep my ex’s ex’s name out of your damn mouth.”
The power of silence
Meg White herself never comments. Even during the White Stripes era (1997–2011), she usually left interviews to Jack and remained silent. In 2007 the band canceled the Icky Thump tour due to “health problems”. Meg was said to be suffering from acute anxiety and unable to travel. What raised eyebrows back then is now common practice as artists like Shawn Mendes and Chappell Roan prioritize their mental health. Meg was ahead of her time.
After the breakup, she withdrew completely and became the white whale of the music press. Just as difficult to track down as D’arcy Wretzky or Zack de la Rocha. Jack White said in 2014: “I don’t think anyone talks to Meg. She was always a recluse.”
Talking is silver, silence is Meg
Meg does not comment on criticism. And that’s what makes them so admirable in the social media era. “Meg always says, the more you talk, the less people listen,” Jack White said in 2005. “She’s right. She hardly talks.”
In a rare interview with Modern Drummer in 2002, she explained: “Sometimes the criticism bothers me. But then I realize: That’s exactly what our band needs. And I just try to have fun.”
The minimalist magic
This fun permeates all six White Stripes albums. Meg’s raw, simple but brilliant technique is the backbone of the band. Their skills shine on songs like “Little Room,” “The Hardest Button to Button” and “My Doorbell.”
She also shone as a singer. For example in the “Icky Thump” track “I’m Slowly Turning Into You” or “This Protector” by “White Blood Cells”. Her goosebumps moment “In the Cold Cold Night” remains unforgettable. Pure magic of minimalism, guitar and voice.
A place in history
Meg White is only the third woman to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a drummer – after Maureen Tucker (Velvet Underground, 1996) and Gina Schock (Go-Go’s, 2021). She will probably stay away from the ceremony. Jack White, however, will be there. And speak for them.
“I’ve never thought, ‘I wish Neil Peart was in this band,'” he said in 2005. “When people criticize hip-hop, they’re afraid of seeming racist. But female musicians criticize them uninhibitedly. Out of pure sexism. Meg is the best thing about this band. It would never have worked with anyone else.”