Biography of The Stooges

This Detroit rock & roll band was formed in 1967 as the Psychedelic Stooges with lead singer Iggy Pop (born James Newell Osterberg, 1947; original stage name was Iggy Stooge, the Iggy appelation coming from his drumming tenure with local teen band The Iguanas). The group also included Ron Asheton (guitar), Scott Asheton (drums), and Dave Alexander (bass). If local favorites The MC5 struck fear into the hearts of Motor City parents with their manifesto of sex, drugs, rock & roll, and politics, they looked normal in comparison to the stage antics of Iggy & The Stooges. Violent interaction with members of the audience (both verbal and physical), vomiting, and self-mutilation with beer bottles were some of the more predictable aspects of their live presentation, while the music itself was simplistic and angry one- to three-chord grunge-rock, with lyrics ranging from teenage disorientation to animal lust. Two excellent albums for Elektra followed (they were signed the same night as The MC5), but the drug lifestyle of the band caused its breakup in the early '70s. They re-formed with James Williamson on guitar and Asheton moving over to bass for the next album in 1973, but disbanded again a year later. Working with David Bowie, Iggy cut two good solo albums in the mid '70s, when bands like The Sex Pistols defined him as "The Godfather of Punk." He has kept recording and touring to his hardcore cult following up to the present time, with small acting roles in The Color of Money and Cry Baby as well. ~ Cub Koda