Overview (4)

Born April 21, 1947 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA Birth Name James Newell Osterberg Jr. Nicknames The Iguana

The Godfather of Punk

Jimmy Height 5' 6" (1.68 m)

Mini Bio (1)

Legendary Rock 'n' Roll wildman and substance abuser. Recorded a series of classic rock albums with The Stooges and later as a solo artist. Worked extensively with David Bowie.

- IMDb Mini Biography By: Anonymous

Spouse (3)

Trade Mark (3)

Frequently performs shirtless



The "stage dive" and wild onstage antics



Raw edged vocals



Trivia (26)

Is said to be the 'Father of Punk Rock'





The character "Funboy" in the original The Crow: Die Krähe (1994) was modeled after him, and he was supposed to be cast as "Funboy", but scheduling prohibited him from being in the movie. He instead appeared as "Curve" in its sequel, The Crow: Die Rache der Krähe (1996).

Father of Eric Benson.



Iggy plays guitar left-handed.





Footage of him writhing on stage is used as the opening of and to separate segments on Australia's longest running and most popular music video show Rage (1987).



His group, The Stooges , although never a huge commercial success, was essential in the development of punk rock. In fact, the unifying trait of all the members of what were arguably the two greatest "punk" bands, Ramones and Sex Pistols , was their idolizing of Iggy and The Stooges.

Began calling himself Iggy while working with his first high school band, "The Iguanas."





Even though he had already created the stage name Iggy Pop, Elektra always billed him as Iggy Stooge in reference to his group, The Stooges , much to Iggy's chagrin.



The first two Stooge albums, "Stooges" and "Fun House", were recorded in a loose way. Much in the style of James Brown , Iggy wrote lyrics and a central riff and the band built music around that and improvised. Made in a very different way, "Raw Power" was written out from beginning to end by Iggy and James Williamson , and the songs were played exactly as written.

Known to people very close to him as "Jimmy."



Now famous for his crazed behavior in the late '60s and '70s, much of Iggy's craziness was fueled by his addiction to heroin. Iggy would often mutilate himself, roll around in peanut butter or broken glass, throw himself offstage (and once down a flight of stairs), bend his body like a pretzel, hump his amps, go naked, and insult the audience. Offstage, he did little else other shoot heroin and have promiscuous sex. In the late '70s, he quit heroin to save his own life and lost interest in sleeping around.





Iggy (short for "Iguana") is often compared to Jim Morrison (also known as "The Lizard" or the "Lizard King"). While Morrison's The Doors was far better known and more commercially successful than Iggy's Stooges, the Stooges sparked punk rock music. The two were comparably wild men, known for their over-the-top, destructive stage acts and hedonistic behaviors offstage. The biggest difference, of course, is that Iggy survived his wild years, while Morrison didn't. When Morrison died, the surviving Doors even tried to recruit Iggy as a replacement, but he turned them down.

The Stooges were voted the 78th Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Artists of all time by Rolling Stone.





David Bowie produced The Stooges ' "Raw Power" album as well as Iggy's first two solo albums, "The Idiot" & "Lust For Life". "The Idiot" Contains the original version of the song "China Girl", later covered famously by Bowie.



In the 1970s, David Bowie played keyboard on his first solo tour. He was an unannounced guest player.

He has been living with his girlfriend, Nina Alu, for nearly a decade.





When asked recently what his favorite all-time album was, his choice was Bob Dylan 's "Bringing It All Back Home".

Son of Louella (Christensen) and James Newell Osterberg. His father, who was of Irish and English descent, was adopted by a Swedish-American woman, Minnie Josephine Osterberg. Iggy's mother was the daughter of a Danish father from Copenhagen and a Norwegian mother from Oslo. Iggy's maternal grandparents were also both of part Swedish heritage.





Speaks the intro to White Zombie 's song, 'Black Sunshine' from their album 'La Sexorcisto'

Attended Ann Arbor Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor, Michigan.





Is friends with The Cult 's singer Ian Astbury , and put in a cameo on The Cult's "Sonic Temple" record. He sings background vocals on the song "New York City".

Currently living in Florida. [July 2005]



Personal Quotes (15)

[on modern music] The most successful stuff is sold to you as indispensable social information. The message in the music is, 'We are terribly, terribly slick and suave, and if you listen to us, you can probably get a leg up in society, too.'



[in 1977] Punk rock is a word used by dilettantes and heartless manipulators about music that takes up the energies, the bodies, the hearts, the souls, the time and the minds of young men who give everything they have to it.





[on his band The Stooges ] That band could kill any band at the time and frankly can just kill any bands that built on this work since...just eat any of those poodles.



[on Canadian Television in 1977] I don't know Johnny Rotten [ John Lydon ], but I'm sure he puts as much blood and sweat into what he does as Sigmund Freud did.



[when asked by Dinah Shore what influenced his music] The industrialism in Detroit...what I heard walking around...boom boom bah - 10 cars...boom boom bah - 20 cars...I get a lot of my influence from the electric shaver...



[on The Stooges 's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010] We've been rejected seven times, and we would have set a record, I think, if it happened again. It started to feel like Charlie Brown and the football. I had about two hours of a strong emotional reaction after hearing the news. It felt like vindication. Then I kind of scratched my head and thought, 'Am I still cool? Or is that over now?'

Onstage, I've been hit by a grapefruit, beer cans, eggs, spit, money, cigarette butts, mandies, Quaaludes, joints, panties, and a fist.



Studios are like hospitals. A lot of people check in and they don't check out.



Touring is hard work and I won't kid you - we put a lot into it, but it's just been really, really good. We're really fucking good! I don't usually like bragging, but we're good. [But in Barcelona in 2012] I was irritated about something and I wanted to make an impression, so I unwisely tried to do a dive off a ten-foot stage. I cracked skulls with some bald guy. There was a lot of blood and I had to have stitches over my eye.



[on performing new material in 2013] Honestly, it was a stretch for me to sing with a loud and sometimes violent rock band, which is sort of what the band has matured into. My own life has become a little farther flung than that, and my last two albums was singing everything from 'Autumn Leaves' to Serge Gainsbourg songs. I noticed it connect with certain people in certain ways, but it was difficult for me.





[on The Clash ] Like the Clash were going to make the world politically correct for everybody's benefit - but only if you kept buying Clash records. I never really went for the righteousness.



[on David Bowie ] David's friendship was the light of my life. I never met such a brilliant person. He was the best there is.

I am the Pas-sen-ger/ I ride and I ride/ I see the stars come out tonight/ I see the city's grim backside...



[on describing his own music] It's intrusive music but only to squares. Only intrusive to squares. It's fun. It's for fun.



I'm proud of everything I have ever done onstage. Everything.

