Among the artist’s who will be achieving Grammy gold the night of Jan. 26, Iggy Pop will receive the high honor of lifetime achievement from the Recording Academy! The 71-year-old rocker, known as the “Godfather of Punk,” curated a storied career since he first started out in the late 1960s. Before the “Real Wild Child” walks the Grammy Awards stage to accept his achievement, here are five things you need to know about him.
1) Iggy began his career with the band The Stooges. Formed in 1967 — when Iggy was just 20 — The Stooges found success in 1968 with the release of their first self-titled album and their subsequent second, Fun House. By 1971, the group broke up but have reunited time and again for more albums like Raw Power (1973), The Weirdness (2007), and Ready To Die (2013). During their early days, Iggy became known for his wild on stage antics, including flashing his genitalia on stage, flinging peanut butter at the audience, and vomiting on stage.
2) He credits his parents for his career. Iggy’s parents made a number of sacrifices for their son’s love of music. The rocker even addressed just how much they believed in him during an April 2007 interview with Rolling Stone saying, “I had the tremendous investment my parents made in me. I got a lot of care. They helped me explore anything I was interested in. This culminated in their evacuation from the master bedroom in the trailer, because that was the only room big enough for my drum kit. They gave me their bedroom.”
4) He’s been nominated for two Grammy Awards. As a solo artist, Iggy was nominated for Best Hard Rock/ Metal Performance in 1988 and Best Alternative Music Album for Post Pop Depression in 2016.
5) Iggy Pop is only his stage name. Iggy was born James Newell Osterberg Jr. in a small town in Michigan (Muskegon) in April 1947. Check out the Grammys on Jan. 26 on CBS at 8 p.m. ET!