After an extended hiatus, the White Stripes have officially broken up. Though, the two Whites have already gone through a divorce only to form a band, this time they are calling it quits for real. The garage rock duo released a statement on their website, which included the existential goodbye: "The White Stripes do not belong to Meg and Jack anymore. The White Stripes belong to you now and you can do with it whatever you want. The beauty of art and music is that it can last forever if people want it to. Thank you for sharing this experience. Your involvement will never be lost on us and we are truly grateful."
The band has been de facto broken up since they toured in support of their last record 'Icky Thump' in 2007. After cutting short their tour dates due to Meg White's anxiety, the ex-husband and wife duo went defunct for several years before returning to perform on the final episode of Late Night with Conan O'Brien on February 20, 2009. Despite the discontinuation of their live show, "The reason is not due to artistic differences or lack of wanting to continue, nor any health issues as both Meg and Jack are feeling fine and in good health."
The statement clarifies, "It is for a myriad of reasons, but mostly to preserve What [sic] is beautiful and special about the band and have it stay that way." Since Meg's retreat from the public eye, Jack White has turned his focus towards his solo career as well as his various side projects, most notably The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather.
The band rose to popularity in the garage rock boom of 2001 with other 'The' bands like The Strokes, The Vines, and The Hives. Since then their fusion of punk, blues, and minimalist arrangements have earned the ex-husband and wife an already prominent place in the rock and roll pantheon. They have received the Grammy award for Best Alternative Music Album for their last three consecutive records.
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