Key Takeaways

• Induction: The White Stripes were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2025.
• Performance: Olivia Rodrigo and Twenty One Pilots performed in tribute to the band.
• Speeches: Iggy Pop and Jack White delivered memorable speeches during the ceremony.
• Legacy: The White Stripes have significantly influenced the rock genre since their inception.

The White Stripes are among the Class of 2025 now enshrined in the Rock and Roll of Fame. The alt-rock icons were inducted by punk legend Iggy Pop, while Jack White was in attendance to accept the honor and deliver a speech of his own.

In 2023, the group received their first Rock Hall nomination, which happened to coincide with their first year of eligibility. While the wait for so many rock legends has been rather long and overdue (some are still waiting), The White Stripes didn’t have to endure a gauntlet of nominations to be granted the honor.

Performing in tribute to The White Stripes was Olivia Rodrigo with indie pop singer-songwriter Feist (“We’re Going to Be Friends”), followed by Twenty One Pilots (“Seven Nation Army”).

Iggy Pop’s Induction Speech for The White Stripes

Iggy Pop, wearing platform flip-flops, took the podium and immediately riled up the crowd, vocalizing the immortal riff to The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army.” Then, he moved onto the “more boring” part — the speech, transcribed in full below:

I wrote a speech — that’s more boring. All right, let me see if I can read this shit. All right, the White Stripes were not like the other bands. The first time I saw them, it was in a photograph. It was just the two of them, standing there side by side, grinning like they had some kind of fun secret, like they stole some cookies from a cookie jar. They looked really young. And, basically, I was looking at a 21st century Adam and Eve, who had started a rock ‘n’ roll band.

I thought, ‘Cute kids, they’ll probably go places.’ And they did! They did go places.

They started their career in a dive bar in Detroit, Michigan called the Gold Dollar. They played with bands like the Gories and the Dirt Bombs. I love that name — Dirt Bombs. They made a big, big load of noise. I liked it right off. Not everybody did. One guy wrote, ‘Lousy drummer.’ [crowd boos] That’s right, boo. Another more famous guy said, ‘He needs guitar lessons.’ But the kids liked it and that’s what counts.

All right. Meg, Meg White, Meg White… Meg White, who is a timeless beauty. Meg White, who gave her name to the group, was a charismatic, naturally likable person. I met her once and she had the most genuine and charming smile. She played the drums for the benefit of her band, like [jazz drummer] Baby Dodds said, she gave the drum kit a good whack, like Fred Below did for Muddy Waters and Chuck Berry.

I think it was Meg’s support that helped launch the rocket of racket that was Jack White.

Jack could screech like an owl. He could twang like a hillbilly. But he could also write. Now where was I in this pile…

I hear echoes of The Who, Small Faces, The Beatles, hard rock and country blues in Jack’s playing. He could do it all. And the writing he is capable of was something that was not typical of the great Detroit bands of the ’60s and ’70s. This was more melodic, more hooky.

After all, it was a new century and the White Stripes’ music was coming from a foundational love instead of revolution and with time to turn a page.

But fuck it, let me tell you how I met Jack.

Jack picked me up. That’s right, he picked me up. We were both playing Coachella and he said, ‘I’ve got an idea for a photo. Look, man, I wanna pick you up in my arms like you’re the dead Jesus.’ I guess that made him the Virgin Mary. So we did the shot until he dropped me.

It was a short relationship and, yeah… Anyway, we did the gig and it was a damn good gig. So in honor of that gig and many others we’ve done since then and will do again, let’s watch The White Stripes in action.

After Iggy Pop’s speech concluded, a video tribute played, quickly recollecting the history and significance of The White Stripes.

Then came Jack White’s speech.

Jack White’s Acceptance Speech

As Iggy Pop welcomed Jack White to the stage, the musician, dressed in a red suit with black labels, a black white tie with a black pocket square with white polka dots, opened up his speech with a mention of his former bandmate, Meg White.

He said he spoke to Meg recently and she helped him with some punctuation as well as some guidance on what to say, including a message of her own to the fans.

See Jack White’s full speech below.

Thank you, Uncle Iggy. I thank you and all of Detroit thanks you, always.

Today, 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.

I spoke with Meg White the other day. 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.

She helped me write all this in the last couple of days. I sent these things to her and she checked it for me. A lot of punctuation corrections too. She’s pretty good at that.

She wanted me to tell y’all that she said, ‘Do you remember Jack when we used to walk around and animals for some reason animals would stare at us? They would stop and stare at us for some reason. And even at the Detroit Zoo an elephant did the exact same thing one time.’

She just wanted me to tell you that.

There’s so many people who helped The White Stripes come alive and climb new mountains. And I know it can be tedious to hear a list of names of people you don’t know but it means a lot to us to tell these people thank you: Ian Montone, Ben Blackwell,[indecipherable], Matt Pollack, Stacy Pass, David Weiss, Ben Swank, Greg Simons, John Baker, Lala Medina, David Swanson, Dead Pastor, Tiffany Steffens Martin Richard and Leo at XL Records Andy Grisham at V2 and everybody at Third Man Records of course.

I myself thank all my brothers and sisters parents for adding pieces of my life to my life and helping push me forward. And for letting me make all that noise in the house all the time growing up. I thank my children Scarlet Henry Lee and my wife Olivia Jean for also pushing me to make all that noise in the house nowadays.

[crowd shouts out ‘We love you, Meg.’]

Yes we love Meg Meg and I want to thank just a few of the bands and artists that inspired us came before us also helped us along our way: The Gories The Gun Club Loretta Lynn Fugazi The Misfits Emerson Lake & Palmer Love Arthur Lee The Flat Duo Jets Dexter Romweber The Henchmen Dick Dale Beck Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow Tampa Red The Sonics Pavement Jethro Tull The Strokes Black Flag Tampa Red uh Sleater-Kinney Death Jethro Tull The Creation The Breeders The Cramps Merle Haggard The Hives Them The Damned The Yeah Yeah Yeahs The Troggs Minor Threat The Rats Captain Beefheart.

To them we all say ‘Thank you.’

Sorry I lost my place there I think I said a couple names twice sorry.

To factories tools electricity vacuum tubes we say ‘Thank you.’ To Coney Islands Detroit honky-tonks Nashville corner pubs London we say ‘Thank you.’ To homeless powerless forgotten we always say ‘Thank you.’

A long while back there was duo songwriters important around time birth rock ‘n’ roll called Leiber Stoller They wrote lot songs that lot people probably never heard But they also wrote couple really connected folks like Jailhouse Rock Stand by Me.
<p>You for sure heard those songs There was once duo called Jerry Siegel Joe Shuster they were comic book hero writing team who came up with kinds heroes you never heard like Slam Bradley Doctor Occult so forth But they also came up character really connected people named Superman who I'm sure you heard.<b>
<p>And there once comedy duo called Abbott Costello that once remember hearing from father as child had thousands jokes kept white cards file cabinet Jokes routines nobody ever heard before never got performed But they also developed joke for some reason really connected people routine called Who's On First? And know you've heard one.<b>
<p>I myself have been lot bands you've probably never heard But for some reason people especially connected this one two-piece duo project called The White Stripes.<b>
<p>We don't know why these things connect people But when they do it's most beautiful thing can have artist musician when people responding sharing with you And so young artists want say get your hands dirty drop screens get out garage little room get obsessed.<b>
<p>Get obsessed something You know get passionate We all want share what might create Lastly I going send this Meg but didn't get around so thought I'd read y'all tonight.<b>
<p>One time girl climbed tree in tree was boy — her brother she thought And tree looked glorious beautiful but just oak tree And these two loved world brought forth parade float one built garage behind oak tree their own bare hands And boy looked giant peppermint wheels felt pride Pride produced Motor City just big factories but just garage.<b>
<p>He looked girl his sister thought like <em>The Little Rascals</em>, they said 'Let's put on show.' And paraded float through Cass Corridor standing atop Peppermint pulled white horses maybe red Econoline van And many blocks traveled empty but some had people.<b>
<p>And some those people cheered some laughed even threw stones And their bare hands two started clap sing make songs And some people kept watching swaying moving then one person even smiled And boy girl looked each other smiled.<b>
<p>And felt both felt sin pride kept smiling smiling from new freedom knowing they shared made another person feel something And thought person smiling them stranger someone didn't even know But wasn't just stranger it God.<b>
<p>My sister thanks you thank you all very much.<b>
</blockquote>
<h3>When Did The White Stripes Last Perform?</h3>
<p>The White Stripes have only performed live once since their final full show on July 31 2007 in Southaven Mississippi Nearly two years later on Feb 20 of 2009 group performed one song — an alternate version "We're Going to Be Friends" on <em>Late Night With Conan O'Brien</em>.

It wasn’t until another two years had gone by after Jack White had alluded future material works under The White Stripes name band officially broke up.

Jack has maintained active musical career releasing albums Raconteurs Dead Weather most prolifically solo artist label began 2001 — Third Man has also been operational whole time.

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Gallery Credit: Chad Childers Loudwire