Iggy Pop

Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop performing in 2011
Background information
Birth nameJames Newell Osterberg Jr.
Born (1947-04-21) April 21, 1947 (age 77)
Muskegon, Michigan, U.S.
OriginAnn Arbor, Michigan, U.S
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • musician
  • songwriter
  • actor
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • drums
  • keyboards
Years active1963–present
Labels
Formerly of
Spouses
Wendy Weissberg
​
​
(m. 1968; div. 1969)​
Suchi Asano
​
​
(m. 1984; div. 1999)​
Nina Alu
​
(m. 2008)​
Websiteiggypop.com

James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter, actor and radio broadcaster. He was the vocalist and lyricist of proto-punk band the Stooges, who were formed in 1967 and have disbanded and reunited many times since.[1] Often called the "Godfather of Punk",[2][3] he was named one of the 50 Great Voices by NPR. In 2010, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Stooges. Pop also received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020 for his solo work.[4]

Initially playing a raw, primitive style of rock and roll (progressing later towards more experimental and aggressive rock), the Stooges sold few records in their original incarnation and gained a reputation for their confrontational performances, which often involved acts of self-mutilation by Pop.[5] He had a long collaborative relationship and friendship with David Bowie over the course of his career, beginning with the Stooges' album Raw Power in 1973. Both musicians went to West Berlin to wean themselves off their respective drug addictions and Pop began his solo career by collaborating with Bowie on the 1977 albums The Idiot and Lust for Life, Pop usually contributing the lyrics. Throughout his career, he is well known for his outrageous and unpredictable stage antics, poetic lyrics and distinctive voice.[6][7][8] He was one of the first performers to do a stage-dive and popularized the activity.[9][10] Pop, who traditionally (but not exclusively) performs bare-chested, also performed such stage theatrics as rolling around in broken glass and exposing himself to the crowd.[10]

Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the course of his career, including garage rock, punk rock, hard rock, heavy metal, art rock, new wave, grunge, jazz, blues and electronic.[11][12] Though his popularity has fluctuated, many of Pop's songs have become well known, including "Search and Destroy" and "I Wanna Be Your Dog" by the Stooges, and his solo hits "Lust for Life", "The Passenger" and "Real Wild Child (Wild One)". In 1990, he recorded his only Top 40 U.S. hit, "Candy", a duet with The B-52s' singer Kate Pierson. Pop's song "China Girl" became more widely known when it was re-recorded by co-writer Bowie, who released it as the second single from his most commercially successful album, Let's Dance (1983). Bowie re-recorded and performed many of Pop's songs throughout his career.

Although Pop has had limited commercial success, he has remained a culture icon and a significant influence on a wide range of musicians in numerous genres. The Stooges' album Raw Power has proved an influence on artists such as Sex Pistols,[13] the Smiths,[14] and Nirvana.[15] His solo album The Idiot has been cited as a major influence on a number of post-punk, electronic and industrial artists including Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails and Joy Division,[16] and was described by Siouxsie Sioux as a "re-affirmation that our suspicions were true: the man is a genius."[17]

  1. ^ "The Stooges Reuinion at Coachella 2003". iggypop.org. Retrieved December 27, 2014.
  2. ^ "But somewhere between his last album, "Naughty Little Doggie", and his latest one, "Avenue B", the godfather of punk turned 50 ...", in Christman, Ed (August 7, 1999), "Iggy Pop opens a 'window into the soul' on Virgin's contemplative 'Avenue B'", Billboard, vol. 111, p. 14, ISSN 0006-2510
  3. ^ "Looking remarkably healthy for a man who nurtured a world-class drug habit for many years, the "Godfather of Punk" Iggy Pop is set to close the Other Stage on Saturday night." in "Godfather of punk still has lust for life", Western Daily Press, p. 30, June 5, 2007
  4. ^ "Iggy Pop, Public Enemy & More to Receive 2020 Lifetime Achievement Awards From the Recording Academy". Billboard. December 19, 2019. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
  5. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Stooges biography". AllMusic. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
  6. ^ Harness, Jill (March 9, 2009). "Music Tidbits: Iggy Pop – Neatorama". Neatorama. Retrieved December 27, 2014.
  7. ^ "Iggy Pop Biography | Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 19, 2011. Retrieved December 27, 2014.
  8. ^ "Proto-Punk Music Genre Overview". AllMusic. Retrieved October 5, 2016.
  9. ^ "The Evolution of Stage Diving". KCPR. October 25, 2018. Archived from the original on February 16, 2019. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  10. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Brooklyn Rail was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ "Iggy Pop announces release date for 'jazz' album". NME. March 26, 2009. Retrieved September 30, 2011.
  12. ^ Kielty, Martin (June 25, 2018). "Iggy Pop Announces EP With Electronic Group Underworld". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  13. ^ Savage, Jon (April 1992). "Sex Pistols". Spin. Vol. 8, no. 1. p. 42. ISSN 0886-3032. Retrieved February 9, 2012.
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference HodgkinsonPetridis was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ "Top 50 by Nirvana [MIXTAPE]". Retrieved May 8, 2013.
  16. ^ Pegg, Nicholas (2000). The Complete David Bowie. Reynolds & Hearn. ISBN 978-1-903111-14-7.
  17. ^ "Classic Albums: Iggy Pop – The Idiot". Clash. March 16, 2012. Retrieved August 17, 2019.