AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Iggy and the Stooges

Artist:Iggy and the Stooges
Song:Search and Destroy
Album:Raw Power





Most music fans are probably familiar with Iggy Pop and hits like Lust For Life. But you may not be familiar with his band The Stooges who were pioneers of punk rock. No one knew what to call them in the late 60s. Iggy Pop was born James Newell Osterberg Jr. Apr. 21, 1947 in Muskegon, MI. He went to high school in Ann Arbor. He played in several area bands as a teen including The Iguanas and The Prime Movers. He formed The Stooges in 1967 with Ron Asheton on guitar, Scott Asheton on drums and Dave Alexander on bass. They became known for wild performances and they got a deal with Elektra Records. They released two albums on Elektra neither of which sold. Meanwhile their shows got even crazier mostly because all of them were heroin addicts. But in 1970 Alexander was fired for showing up to a show drunk. He was replaced by James Recca. They added a second guitarist James Williamson and he tried to stabilize things. Elektra dropped them and they were going to split up. But fate intervened when Iggy Pop met David Bowie on Sept. 7, 1971 at Max's Kansas City in New York. He loved The Stooges and he signed them to his management company and this led to a record contract with Columbia. They were billed as Iggy and the Stooges. Bowie produced the 1973 album Raw Power. The album was well received critically and it sold well. Bowie's involvement didn't hurt. The album is now considered to be very influential on the punk rock that would follow. The album is available as a budget CD. The Stooges toured to support the album but then they split up in 1974. Pop's ongoing heroin addiction was probably the biggest problem. After rehab, he would launch his solo career with Bowie's help in 1977. The Stooges reunited in 2003 and toured extensively for several years. James Williamson was an electronic engineer for Sony until his 2009 retirement. He returned to The Stooges and they toured until retiring in 2016. Here's Iggy and the Stooges performing Search and Destroy in Europe.