Search and Destroy: Plus Ultra Presents: The Iggy Pop Story Part 1

Iggy Pop the true motor city madman was born James Jewell Osterberg on April 21, in Muskegon, Michigan, his father Newell Sr. was an English teacher and his mother was Louella Christensen. Young Jim grew up in a trailer park in Yipsilanti, near Ann Arbor. In 1962 Jim formed a high school band called the Iguanas, where he played the drums and acquired the name Iggy. Between 1966-67 Iggy spent 8 months in Chicago, playing drums in various blues bands, soon returning to Ann Arbor. In 1966, rock legend has Iggy meeting Andy Warhol, John Cale, and Nico, at a party thrown by mutual friend Anne Wehrer. In 1967 Iggy formed "The Psychedelic Stooges" and called himself Iggy Stooge, the Stooges included Iggy's old friends Ron and Scott Asheton, bassist Dave Alexander, who had played bass for the Dirty Shames and Iggy Stooge on vocals.


The bands first gig was held on Halloween, 1967 at the University of Michigan. The three other Psychedelic Stooges nicknamed Iggy "Pop" after a local character who he resembled. In October 1968, the Stooges signed with Elektra Records, The Doors label, which must have been cool for Iggy who was influenced by seeing The Doors perform in 1967 at the University of Michigan. Shortly after the Stooges got signed, Iggy got married to Wendy Weisberg, the marriage lasted one month.


In 1969 the band wisely chose John Cale (from the Velvet Underground) as their producer on their first album. In June, they recorded their debut album at the "Hit Factory", in New York City. Since they only had five songs to record when they went to NY, they wrote much of it on the fly, Ron Asheton is said to have composed "Not Right" & "Little Doll" in just one hour. The band released their self-titled debut "The Stooges" at the end of August 1969, removing "Psychedelic" from their name at the same time, and the rest as they say is rock n' roll history!

For more information on this important issue please visit:

The Stooges

Iggy Pop

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