Detroit’s own Jack and Meg White have finally achieved Rock and Roll Hall of Fame status. The news was announced Sunday night.
In their inductee profile, the Rock Hall writes that The White Stripes “reimagined minimalist garage and punk rock for a new generation and brought blues into the twenty-first century” and “proved that a band could create massive, genre-defining sound with only two people, inspiring a wave of rock & roll revivalists and making a lasting mark on popular music.”
The band formed in Detroit in 1997, released six studio albums, and received four Grammy Awards and eight nominations during their 14-year run.
The White Stripes are being recognized in the Performers category, which is awarded to “artists who have created music whose originality, impact, and influence has changed the course of rock & roll,” according to a press release.
It’s not clear whether Jack and Meg — the formerly married couple who secretly divorced in 2000, and used to tell the press they were brother and sister — will be performing together at the 2025 Induction Ceremony, which takes place Saturday, Nov. 8 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The group split in 2011, and their last public performance together was on the final episode of NBC’s Late Show with Conan O’Brien in 2009.
Read Hour Detroit’s 2001 interview with a 25-year-old Jack White, shortly before the release of The White Stripes’ White Blood Cells.
“I highly doubt [a White Stripes reunion] would ever be a thing,” Jack told Rolling Stone in 2018. Meg has famously kept a low profile since the band’s split, avoiding interviews and public appearances; Jack is currently on tour in support of his latest solo album and frequently performs White Stripes tracks as part of his setlist (or non-setlist, rather).
While there aren’t any other Detroit inductees this time around, producer Thom Bell — who worked extensively with Motown greats and fellow inductees The Spinners — is winning a Musical Excellence award. And of course, Soundgarden front man Chris Cornell famously played his last show at the Fox Theatre in 2017.
The White Stripes were previously nominated for the award in 2023. The ceremony can be streamed on Disney+. There will be a limited time airing on ABC at a later date, and it will be available on Hulu the following day.
Here’s the full list of 2025 inductees:
Performer Category
- Bad Company
- Chubby Checker
- Joe Cocker
- Cyndi Lauper
- Soundgarden
- The White Stripes
Musical Influence Award
- Salt-N-Pepa
- Warren Zevon
Musical Excellence Award
- Thom Bell
- Nicky Hopkins
- Carol Kaye
Ahmet Ertegun Award
- Lenny Waronker
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