The Stooges

The Stooges Artistfacts

  • 1967-1974, 2003-
    Iggy PopVocals
    Scott AshetonDrums1967–1974, 2003–2014)
    Ron AshetonGuitar1967-1974, 2003-2009
    Dave AlexanderBass1967-1970
    James WilliamsonGuitar1970-
    Mike WattBass2003-
    Steve MackaySaxophone2003-
  • Vocalist Iggy Pop created his alias by adapting the name of his former band, the Iguanas.
  • Pop is credited as the first to perform a stage dive. He was inspired by the onstage antics of The Doors frontman Jim Morrison, and became himself notorious for his onstage performances. He is said to have rolled in glass, and flashed the audience. At the 1970 Cincinnati Pop Festival, he dived into the crowd and smeared himself with peanut butter.
  • Iggy Koopa, a character in the Nintendo Super Mario franchise, was named after Pop.
  • US Alternative Rock band Sonic Youth dedicated their last album The Eternal to Stooges guitarist Ron Asheton, who died in 2009 of a heart attack. Since his death, his younger brother drummer Scott Asheton and Iggy Pop are the only remaining original members.
  • The band were originally called The Psychedelic Stooges, but their name changed along with their sound. They took their name from American vaudeville comedy trio The Three Stooges. Reportedly, Iggy Pop asked The Three Stooges member Moe Howard if he objected to the name change, to which he replied, "I don't care what they call themselves, as long as they're not the Three Stooges!"
  • Peter Jackson, director of the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, used Iggy Pop's wiry body as a model for the creation of Gollum.
  • The band were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010.
  • Since 2009, Iggy Pop has featured in adverts promoting UK car insurance company Swiftcover. He is accompanied by a puppet of his likeness, dubbed 'Little Iggy.' The advert caused controversy when it was revealed that the company do not insure musicians.
  • David Bowie's 1982 hit China Girl was originally released by Iggy Pop on his 1977 debut album The Idiot. The two, who have frequently worked together, co-wrote the track, supposedly about Iggy's infatuation with a Vietnamese woman.
  • Drummer and founding member Scott Asheton suffered a severe stroke after the Hellfest Festival show of June 17, 2011, in France. He passed away in March 2014, aged 64

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Harry Shearer

Harry ShearerSongwriter Interviews

Harry is Derek Smalls in Spinal Tap, Mark Shubb in The Folksmen, and Mr. Burns on The Simpsons.

Grammar In Lyrics

Grammar In LyricsMusic Quiz

Lyrics don't always follow the rules of grammar. Can you spot the ones that don't?

Deconstructing Doors Songs With The Author Of The Doors Examined

Deconstructing Doors Songs With The Author Of The Doors ExaminedSong Writing

Doors expert Jim Cherry, author of The Doors Examined, talks about some of their defining songs and exposes some Jim Morrison myths.

Graham Nash

Graham NashSongwriter Interviews

Graham Nash tells the stories behind some of his famous songs and photos, and is asked about "yacht rock" for the first time.

Dwight Twilley

Dwight TwilleySongwriter Interviews

Since his debut single "I'm On Fire" in 1975, Dwight has been providing Spinal-Tap moments and misadventure.

Band Names

Band NamesFact or Fiction

Was "Pearl" Eddie Vedder's grandmother, and did she really make a hallucinogenic jam? Did Journey have a contest to name the group? And what does KISS stand for anyway?