The White Stripes Tim Roney/Getty Images
Meg White turned 50 years old on Wednesday (Dec. 10), and to celebrate, her former husband and White Stripes bandmate Jack White took to Instagram to pay tribute to the drummer.
“HAPPY 50TH BIRTHDAY to my big sister, the great Meg White. There’s only one of you Meggo, they broke the mold. You’re still inspiring people, including me. Love you so much,” he wrote alongside a Polaroid-style photo of Meg, in which she stands in front of a red wall wearing a black-and-white leopard print top — matching the White Stripes’ black, white and red color motif.
See the post here.
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Jack and Meg formed the White Stripes in 1997, and released six studio albums before they disbanded in 2011. While the duo initially portrayed themselves as siblings to the public, but in 2001, evidence of their 1996 marriage and 2000 divorce emerged. Over the course of their time together, they notched a number of hits including “Seven Nation Army,” which was featured on their fourth studio album, 2003’s Elephant. The track topped Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart and was nominated for the best rock performance by a duo or group with vocal at the Grammy Awards, and has gone on to become a sports anthem due to its instantly-recognizable opening riff.
Icky Thump, their sixth and final studio album, won best alternative music album and the title track took home the award for best rock performance by a duo or group with vocals at the 50th annual Grammys.
Throughout the years, Jack has remained supportive of Meg, and in March 2023, he posted a response (in the form of a poem) defending his ex-wife after political journalist Lachlan Markay wrote in a since-deleted tweet that “the tragedy of the White Stripes is how great they would’ve been with a half decent drummer… I’m sorry Meg White was terrible and no band is better for having a sh—y drummer.”
