Iggy Pop life and biography

James Newell Osterberg, Jr is an American punk rock singer better known by his stage name Iggy Pop.

Pop is one of the most important innovators of punk rock. Also referred to as the Godfather of Punk and the Rock Iguana, he is widely acknowledged as one of the most dynamic stage performers of rock.

Pop was the lead singer of The Stooges, a late 1960s/early 1970s band that featured brothers Ron and Scott Asheton and Dave Alexander and was highly influential in the development of hard rock. The debut album was produced by the Velvet Underground’s John Cale. The band’s “I Wanna Be Your Dog” is a garage punk standard.

Raw Power was first released in1973, perhaps the first record that could truly be called punk. It was the confluence of The Stooges ages, hormones, creativity, ability, experience, tastes, lack of supervision, contempt for authority and ambition that has made Raw Power one of the most influential albums of all time.

The Stooges were infamous for performances in which Pop leapt off the stage (hence, the “stage dive”), smeared raw meat or peanut butter over his chest and cut himself with broken bottles. A glimpse of the vibrating intensity of Iggy live can be seen in the Ramones movie “End of the Century.” Guitarist James Williamson became a key collaborator, a partnership documented on the 1978 album Kill City.

Iggy's solo career never reached such heights again. In 1987 he had a minor hit single with "Real Wild Child", and another in 1990 with "Candy" and the accompanying album Brick by Brick, which was also well received by critics. In 2004, Iggy reformed with The Stooges to tour, and they released a fourth studio album in 2006.

A biopic film of Iggy's life, focusing on his time with the Stooges, is in production. Named The Passenger, the lead role is set to be played by Lord of the Rings star Elijah Wood.

Solo albums:

1977 – The Idiot
1977 – Lust for Life
1979 – New Values
1980 – Soldier
1981 – Party
1982 – Zombie Birdhouse
1986 – Blah Blah Blah
1988 – Instinct
1990 – Brick by Brick
1993 – American Caesar
1996 – Naughty Little Doggie
1999 – Avenue B
2001 – Beat 'Em Up
2003 – Skull Ring
2009 – Préliminaires
2012 - Après ( released May 9)

Read more