Iggy Pop is the stage name of James Newell Osterberg Jr., an American singer, musician, radio presenter, songwriter, and actor who was born on April 21, 1947. He was the frontman and lyricist for the proto-punk band The Stooges, who were formed in 1967 and have gone through numerous lineup changes and reunions since. He is known as the “Godfather of Punk.”
In their first incarnation, the Stooges didn’t sell many records and gained a reputation for their confrontational performances, which frequently included acts of self-mutilation by Pop. They started out playing a raw, primitive style of rock and roll before evolving later towards a more experimental and aggressive rock. Over the course of his career, he worked closely with David Bowie and became friends with him. Their connection began with the release of the Stooges’ album Raw Power in 1973. Pop started his solo career by working with Bowie on the 1977 albums The Idiot and Lust for Life, with Pop often contributing the lyrics. Both musicians moved to West Berlin to wean themselves off their own drug habits.
Throughout his career, Pop has become well-known for his outrageous and unpredictable stage antics, poetic lyrics, and distinctive voice. He popularized the stage dive and was one of the first performers to do one. Pop, who frequently (but not always) performs bare-chested, has also engaged in stage theatrics like rolling around in the broken glass and exposing himself to the audience.
