Who got the better of whom? Stollsteimer (l) and White
To put it in the nicest way, former White Stripes frontman turned solo artist, indie label head and producer Jack White is not one to shy away from confrontation. Plus he says what he thinks and feels, at the risk of making enemies. To put it simply, he’s a scrapper.
There are many former friends, wives (both Meg White and Karen Elson) and bandmates (Meg again), and associates with whom he has had his very vocal differences. Or as on this day in 2003, physical differences.
Backstory: Detroit producer, engineer and bassist Jim Diamond worked with the White Stripes on their first two albums. A few years layer he sued them claiming that he was a co-creator of the songs/sounds. A jury dismissed his claim with a mere half-hour of deliberation.
Jason Stollsteimer of the Detroit band the Von Bondies similarly claims that Diamond was due greater credit for the work he did on his band’s 2001 debut album, on which White is credited as producer.
At a record release party for Motor City alt-country rockers Blanche at The Magic Stick nightclub, White has words with Stollsteimer, who by accounts attempts to not engage with White. So White punches Stollsteimer a number of times in the face, and then forces his foe to the floor and punches him further until he is pulled off.
Both file police reports. White is eventually charged with aggravated assault and settles the matter by paying a $500 fine and taking anger management classes. He says the incident is one reason why he now lives in Nashville.
White scored his biggest hit with 2008’s “Another Way to Die” with Alicia Keys, the theme song for the James Bond film Quantum of Solace.
Related: White paid tribute to Eddie Van Halen on Saturday Night Live on Oct. 10, 2020
3 Comments so far
Jump into a conversationIf I had a nickle for every time a couple of bands from Detroit got into a physical altercation, I would be a rich man.
At one time it was happening every weekend at shows throughout town.
There always has been a lot of competition between acts in this town, it drove some of these bands to be better than would have been otherwise.
Who’s Jack White?
The very first sentence of the article will answer your question.