(WXYZ) — Legendary Detroit rocker Jack White is defending his ex-wife and former bandmate, Meg White, after a tweet from a writer called her a "terrible" drummer.
The tweet from writer Lachlan Markay has since been deleted and he has issued an apology, but it didn't take long for the tweet to blow up and many people to come to Meg's defense.
Jack, who is from Southwest Detroit and started The White Stripes there with Meg in 1997, was actually born Jack Gillis and took Meg's last name.
The tweet, according to Variety, said, “The tragedy of the White Stripes is how great they would’ve been with a half decent drummer. Yeah yeah I’ve heard all the ‘but it’s a carefully crafted sound mannnn!’ takes. I’m sorry Meg White was terrible."
He has since deleted the tweet saying it was in part, "just truly awful in every way. Petty, obnoxious, just plain wrong."
On Wednesday night, Jack posted a photo on Instagram of Meg playing the drums with the caption reading:
"To be born in another time,
any era but our own would’ve been fine.
100 years from now,
1000 years from now,
some other distant, different, time.
one without demons, cowards and vampires out for blood,
one with the positive inspiration to foster what is good.
an empty field where no tall red poppies are cut down,
where we could lay all day, every day, on the warm and subtle ground,
and know just what to say and what to play to conjure our own sounds.
and be one with the others all around us,
and even still the ones who came before,
and help ourselves to all their love,
and pass it on again once more.
to have bliss upon bliss upon bliss,
to be without fear, negativity or pain,
and to get up every morning, and be happy to do it all again."
Many others came to Meg's defense, including Questlove and Karen Elson, who is another one of Jack's ex-wives after he and Meg divorced.
"Not only is Meg White a fantastic drummer, Jack also said the White Stripes would be nothing without her. To the journalist who dissed her, keep my ex husband’s ex wife name out of your f*cking mouth. (Please and Thank You)" Elson tweeted.
"I try to leave “troll views” alone but this right here is out of line af. Actually what is wrong w music is people choking the life out of music like an Instagram filter—-trying to reach a high of music perfection that doesn’t even serve the song (or music)" Questlove tweeted.
Last month, it was announced The White Stripes were among the 2023 nominees for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, with the nomination coming in their first year of eligibility.
Jack and Meg formed The White Stripes in Detroit in 1997 and they reimagined garage rock into the 21st century.
The band released its first self-titled album in 1999 and re-released "White Blood Cells" in 2002 under a major label. They performed one last time on Late Night with Conan O'Brien before dissolving in 2011.
