Jack White pays tribute to Meg White as White Stripes enter Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

The White Stripes were officially inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Saturday, with fellow Michigan musician Iggy Pop introducing the duo during a ceremony at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles.

Iggy Pop began his speech by humming the riff to the band’s signature track “Seven Nation Army” before turning his attention to drummer Meg White. “Meg White had the most genuine and charming smile,” he said.

“She played the drums for the benefit of her band. She gave the drum kit a good whack. I think it was Meg’s support that helped launch the rocket of racket that was Jack White.”

He went on to praise Jack White’s musicality, saying, “Jack could screech like an owl. He could twang like a hillbilly. But he could also write. I hear the echoes of The Who, The Small Faces, The Beatles… in Jack’s playing.”

After a video tribute, Jack White took the stage, thanking “Uncle Iggy” and confirming that Meg was not in attendance. “I spoke with Meg White the other day… she’s very grateful to all the folks who supported her through all the years,” he told the audience.

Jack also shared a story Meg had asked him to tell, recalling how animals would stare at them when they walked together — “Even at the Detroit Zoo, an elephant did the exact same thing one time,” he said.

He concluded with a poetic reflection on the band’s origins, likening their journey to “a boy and a girl who built a parade float with their own bare hands.”

This year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame class also included Cyndi Lauper, Outkast, Soundgarden, Bad Company, Chubby Checker, and Joe Cocker.

White closed his speech urging musicians to “get your hands dirty and drop the screens and get out of your garage.”