James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American musician, singer, and songwriter. Designated the “Godfather of Punk”,^[1][2] he was the vocalist and lyricist of proto-punk band The Stooges, who were formed in 1967 and have disbanded and reunited many times since.^[3]

Initially playing a raw, primitive style of rock and roll, the Stooges sold few records in their original incarnation and gained a reputation for their confrontational performances, which often involved acts of self-mutilation by Pop.^[4] He had a long collaborative and personal friendship with David Bowie over the course of his career, beginning with the Stooges’ album Raw Power in 1973. Both musicians relocated to West Berlin to wean themselves off their respective drug addictions and Pop began his solo career by collaborating with Bowie on the 1977 albums The Idiot and Lust for Life, Pop usually contributing the lyrics. Throughout his career, he is well known for his outrageous and unpredictable stage antics, poetic lyrics, and distinctive voice.