You read correctly. The seminal rock duo from Detroit, The White Stripes, have officially broken up. Jack and Meg White released a statement on their website here. Unfortunately, it is true.
It is of my opinion that Jack White is the most prolific musician of this generation. Anything that this man has touched has turned to ROCK!! Whether it be fronting The White Stripes on vocals and guitar, taking a step back as a supporting member of The Raconteurs, drumming duties in The Dead Weather, or producing the likes of classic artists such as Loretta Lynn and Wanda Jackson. Mr. White has an old-school approach to creating music; always analog, if possible, rejecting the digital takeover of recording that has encapsulated almost the entire music industry. He founded Third Man Records based out of Nashville, TN in that regard, on the basis that less is more (and in Jack White's case, he is an artist of the highest caliber in that department). Jack has the utmost appreciation of music as a historical contribution to humanity, and does everything he can to preserve, respect, and add to it's legacy.
Here's an excerpt of an interview with The White Stripes on The Charlie Rose Show, my personal favorite interview I've seen of Jack and Meg. Around 1:56 in the video Jack gets down to what they are trying to accomplish with their style:
Here is another excerpt from the same interview pertaining to why The White Stripes were created. At about :30 into the video is what I believe every great musician tries to do:
From my experience as a performer, I know exactly what Jack White is talking about. When a musician is in love with music that strikes a chord in them, the goal is to try and get others whom are unaware of said music, to pay attention. Jack talks about "tricking" people into listening to the blues by putting his own spin on it with The White Stripes, hoping that the audience will dig for the hidden treasures of a time that has passed by exploring the influential artists in White's life by proxy, thus, preserving these historic performers and their legacy.
In my personal musical endeavors, I always admit that I'm trying to "rip off" the bands and musicians that have had similar impacts in my life. I believe that you can't know where you're going unless you know where you've been. Most musicians I know strive to be as good as the artists that inspired them to pick up their instruments in the first place. If I can create a drum beat that alludes to Josh Freese, Jon Theodore, Elvin Jones, or Brooks Wackerman, and I'm approached by someone after a show that notices what I'm trying to do, it makes me smile; I'm fooling the audience into appreciating other artists by imitating them.
Though I'm sad that there will probably be no more new White Stripes records, I can't stay glum for long. As you read this post, Jack White is most likely in his laboratory creating 10 more projects that will all blow the minds of the lucky who will be exposed to them. And I can't be too surprised that this break-up has happened considering The White Stripes have been on hiatus for over 3 years now, but I don't want to take away from the significance of this event with my hipster proclivity to not being surprised.
The White Stripes is where it all started for Jack White. He'll be making music until his hands fall off, and even then I'm sure he'd find a way to make some killer tunes. Bon Voyage, White Stripes; you'll be dearly missed!!
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