Jack White responds after journalist calls ex-bandmate Meg White a ‘terrible’ drummer

Fans and fellow musicians rushed to defend Meg White after a journalist branded her a ‘terrible’ drummer and suggested the White Stripes would have achieved more without her

Jack White has responded to the debate over Meg White’s drumming ability by posting an original poem in support of his former White Stripes bandmate.

A row errupted this week after writer Lachlan Markay called her a “terrible” drummer.

“The tragedy of The White Stripes is how great they would have been with a half decent drummer,” he wrote in a now-deleted tweet.

“Yeah, yeah I’ve heard all the ‘but it’s a carefully crafted sound mannnn!’ takes. I’m sorry Meg White was terrible and no band is better for having s****y percussion.”

Since then, numerous fans and friends including Questlove, Karen Elson, and Jack himself have jumped to defend Meg and criticise Markay for his comments.

Elson, who was married to Meg’s ex-husband and bandmate between 2005 and 2013, tweeted: “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***ing mouth. (Please and Thank You).”

Questlove wrote: “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).”

Jack himself has now shared a poem to Instagram in support of Meg, alonog with a photo of her at her drumkit.

“To be born in another time, any era but our own would’ve been fine,” the poem begins.

“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.”

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Following the backlash, Markay posted an lengthy apology on Twitter on Tuesday evening (14 March).

“By now you’ve probably seen an ill-advised (and since-deleted) tweet I sent out yesterday about the White Stripes and Meg White,” he said. “It was an over-the-top take on TWS and White as a drummer, and was, let’s face it, just truly awful in every way. Petty, obnoxious, just plain wrong.

“A lot of people have now weighed in, both on my nasty and totally unjustified tone, and on the merits, pointing out it’s simply untrue. Guess what: they’re right! It was a terrible, mean thing to say—and also just, you know, wrong—and I deeply regret saying it.”

He added a direct apology to Meg, writing: “To Meg White: I am sorry. Really. And to women in the music business generally, who I think are disproportionately subject to this sort of s***, I am sorry to have fed that as well. I’m really going to try to be more thoughtful in the future, both on here and off.

During her career, Meg was credited as one of the key figures in the garage rock revival of the 2000s, and has been nominated for various awards as a part of the White Stripes, including winning four Grammy Awards. She is consistently ranked on lists of the greatest drummers of all time.