Iggy on 'Idol'? Strange but true
The godfather of punk rock and the most mainstream music outlet in the country might not seem to be a very likely pairing. But last night, TV viewers saw it: Iggy Pop making a guest appearance on "American Idol."
Most of the media attention this morning is focused on the "shocking" elimination of a favorite from the competition, but for some, the real surprise was seeing Iggy Pop sing on the show. He performed his song "Real Wild Child," and the studio audience seemed more or less OK with it.
Watch the performance here:
Pop grew up in Pittsfield Township, and first came to fame in the late 1960s leading the Stooges, an Ann Arbor band often credited as being the first punk rockers. He eventually became a solo star, known for amazingly high-energy performances as well as on-stage antics.
Over the years, Iggy and the mainstream have gotten closer to each other — to the point that last year, the Stooges were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and National Public Radio included Pop on its list of "50 Great Voices." With the "American Idol" appearance, that journey has arguably been completed.
Iggy Pop will return to Ann Arbor later this month for a special Stooges reunion concert at the Michigan Theater in honor of the late Ron Asheton, the Stooges' original guitarist.
Bob Needham is director of entertainment content for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at bobneedham@annarbor.com or 734-623-2541, and follow him on Twitter @bobneedham.
Comments
pegret
Mon, Apr 11, 2011 : 12:23 p.m.
Hey, given his age, and the abuse he's probably put his body through, he looks amazing! I'd go shirtless too if I was in that good of shape at 60+. Rock on, Iggy!
Goodneighbor
Mon, Apr 11, 2011 : 1:32 a.m.
Jim is officially a " sexagenarian ".....:-)!!! Don't ya just love it?, ... :-) !!! That skipping around the stage was so NOT Iggy. What happened to the spastic undulations and disjointed arm movements? Can't say they were ever "my cup of tea", just some guy acting all freaky to make up for lack of musical talent, ... I'm just sayin' :-)! I do wish him well and a long an healthy life!
ronaldduck
Fri, Apr 8, 2011 : 10:53 p.m.
I'm a big fan of Iggy, but my 11 year old daughter was freaked out by a 60 yead old man running around on stage without his shirt on.
girlhunter
Fri, Apr 8, 2011 : 9:36 p.m.
I just want to know .. Who told him that it was ok to not wear a shirt? That was the most god awful thing I had seen in a while!.. I cannot help but wonder if they had the EMS standing by??
leaguebus
Fri, Apr 8, 2011 : 9:30 p.m.
He should have done "I Want To Be Your Dog".
David Briegel
Fri, Apr 8, 2011 : 5:22 p.m.
He never wears a shirt. He doesn't want you to like it! That was the meaning of the movement he helped to found. He's a PUNK!!
a2grateful
Fri, Apr 8, 2011 : 4:45 p.m.
Iggy rocked . . . Look at the AI participants dancing and having fun with him . . . Iggy's guitarist was a smoker, too . . . a real bad (shout your mouth) . . . Great to see Iggy getting some due!
huh7891
Fri, Apr 8, 2011 : 4:44 p.m.
My thoughts : Idol must be getting desperate....
a2grateful
Fri, Apr 8, 2011 : 4:42 p.m.
Bob Needham: Was that really Iggy, or was it you? You know . . . Mild mannered reporter by day . . . Super rocker by night . . . You've got me wondering . . . Having those two photos at the top of this page . . . You guys have very similar headshots . . . camera angles . . . head tilts . . . Hmmmm . . .
Bob Needham
Fri, Apr 8, 2011 : 4:55 p.m.
Ha! If only. One thing's for sure, I don't think that hair of his could be faked ... so that lets me out.
Macabre Sunset
Fri, Apr 8, 2011 : 4:18 p.m.
The local connection is nice and all, but you'd think that given his success in the music business, the old guy could afford to buy a shirt for his performance last night.