Music

The White Stripes Take Their Place in the Rock Hall with Help from Iggy Pop

The duo became the 29th inductee from Detroit/metro Detroit in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

November 9, 2025

American rock duo the White Stripes, February 2002. They are Jack White and his ex-wife Meg White. — The White Stripes circa 2002. // Photograph by Tim Roney/Getty Images, courtesy of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

The White Stripes were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on Saturday night (Nov. 8) before a capacity crowd inside the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

Doing the honors of inducting Jack and Meg White was another Michigan music giant, Iggy Pop. The punk icon quipped how it was “boring” that he prepared a speech. Of course, he made things less boring when he looked at his speech on paper and said, “All right, let me see if I can read this sh-t.”

Pop said that when he first saw Jack and Meg, they looked like “a 21st century Adam and Eve who had started a rock ‘n” roll band.” He added, “I thought, ‘Cute kids, they’ll probably go places.’ And they did! They did go places.”

Pop heaped praise on Meg White saying, “She played the drums for the benefit of her band … I think it was Meg’s support that helped launch the rocket of racket that was Jack White.”

There was, naturally, a lot of praise for Jack White. Pop said Jack “could screech like an owl … twang like a hillbilly, but he could also write.” Pop said Jack’s writing was unlike Detroit music of the ’60s and ’70s. He noted it had more hooks and was more melodic. Pop added, it “was coming from a foundational love instead of revolution.”

Jack White’s Acceptance Speech

Jack took to the stage to give his Rock Hall acceptance speech and thanked “Uncle Iggy” for his remarks.

He began by saying, “The White Stripes are proud to represent the sound of Detroit punk and garage rock and all of its bands and artists. And also, the garage rock movement that caught folks’ imagination around the world a few years back.”

Jack said he spoke with Meg recently, who he later referred to as his sister. (The White Stripes were famously billed as being brother and sister. However, they were actually once married and later divorced in 2000.) Jack noted, “She said that she’s very sorry she couldn’t make it here tonight, but she wanted me to tell you that she’s very grateful to all of the folks who supported her through all the years and it really means a lot to her tonight.”

Jack thanked many people and also shouted out many bands and artists. He said these acts influenced The White Stripes or supported them over the years. Among those listed were Loretta Lynn, Fugazi, The Misfits, Dick Dale, Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow, Jethro Tull, and Black Flag. Perhaps not by coincidence, none of the acts Jack mentioned have been inducted into the Rock Hall.

Adding a touch of local flavor, Jack also thanked “the Coney Islands of Detroit.” He also had some advice for young artists: ” … Get your hands dirty and drop the screens and get out in your garage or your little room and get obsessed. Get obsessed with something. You know, get passionate. We all want to share in what you might create.”

The White Stripes’ portion of the Rock Hall induction ceremony came to a close with two performances. First, Olivia Rodrigo and Feist covered “We’re Gonna Be Friends.” Then, Twenty One Pilots took to the stage and delivered an energetic cover of “Seven Nation Army.”