White Stripes Enter Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as Meg White Becomes Third Female Drummer Honored

The White Stripes were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on Saturday in Los Angeles. Meg White became just the third female drummer to receive this honor. The ceremony arrives while arguments about her drumming skills persist, even though the band broke up almost 15 years ago.

Meg White joins Maureen Tucker of the Velvet Underground, inducted in 1996, and Gina Schock of the Go-Gos, inducted in 2021. She's the third woman drummer to gain admission.

The White Stripes started in 1997 in Detroit. They released six albums before splitting in 2011. Their 2003 album, Elephant, won several GRAMMYS and turned them into household names with hits like "Seven Nation Army."

Arguments about Meg White's talent have followed the band since they got famous. A viral tweet two years ago calling her "terrible" sparked outrage online, and Questlove and Jack White came to her defense. 

Meg White gave few interviews during the band's run from 1997 to 2011. The pair released their final album, Icky Thump, in 2007. They cancelled their tour after Meg White suffered from what they described in a letter to fans as "acute anxiety." 

Her drumming served as the foundation for the band's sound in songs like "Little Room," "The Hardest Button to Button," and "My Doorbell." She also provided backing vocals on "I'm Slowly Turning Into You" and sang lead on "In the Cold Cold Night" from Elephant.

"Meg always says, 'The more you talk, the less people listen,'" Jack White told Rolling Stone's David Fricke in the band's 2005 cover story. "She's right. She doesn't open her mouth very much."

After the band split, Meg White retreated from public view. She became one of music journalism's most sought-after interview subjects. Jack White admitted in 2014 that he was barely in touch with her.