The White Stripes have officially announced their break-up.

In a statement on their website, the Detroit due explained that “the reason is not due to artistic differences or lack of wanting to continue, nor any health issues as Meg and Jack are fine and in good health. It is for a myriad of reasons, but mostly to preserve what is beautiful and special about the band and have it stay that way.” The statement goes on to mention that Third Man Records, the record label set up by Jack White, would continue to release unheard studio and live recordings through their Vault Subscription record club.

The band consisted of Jack White (vocals , guitar and keyboards) and Meg White (drums) who were previously married, although they divorced amicably in 2000 after less than four years of marriage. Two people, big noise. The whole sound was certainly greater than the sum of their parts with just guitars, drums, voice and keyboards.

They released their eponymous debut album in 1999 on anti-music industry record label, Sympathy for the Record Industry, although it wasn’t until their third album, White Blood Cells, released in 2001, that the duo enjoyed their first significant success, selling over 500,000 copies of the record. The band’s next album, Elephant, came along in 2003 and was their first on major label, V2. It was also their first UK chart-topping album and eventually went double platinum.

Since Elephant, the band have released two more albums, Get Behind Me Satan in 2005 and Icky Thump in 2007, toured the world over and been blessed with a whole host of awards, accolades, fans and critical acclaim. In 2007, however, the band cancelled all remaining touring commitments after it was revealed Meg was suffering from acute anxiety problems. Although not hinted at in their statement, it is thought that these problems are behind the reason they called it a day.

Having not released a record since 2007, the splitting up of the White Stripes will not come as a great shock to many. However, Jack White has certainly kept himself busy since that time. He continues to run his Third Man record label, produces records by the label’s bands and still finds time to write, record and tour with both The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather. It is unclear what Meg White’s next moves will be, having kept a very low profile since the tours were cancelled.

In a postscript to their fans, and clearly with one eye on their legacy, the band explain: “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.”