Today is punk rocker Iggy Pop’s 64th birthday, but he’s been on my mind since last month. At the time, I was sitting in a doctor’s office, reading a 2010 New Yorker, when I came across an article on how the often-shirtless Pop was promoting a line of t-shirts. The article noted, “…neither age nor gravity has curbed Pop’s preference for being stripped to the waist.” I tore the article out of the magazine to share it with y’all. How punk of me!
I particularly enjoyed this:
“Pop admitted that there have been times, lately, when his unclad torso has met with disapproval. ‘You know, from time to time, if I take my shirt off now, it doesn’t look the way it did when I was thirty-two,’ he said. ‘It’s, like, ugh. But look — when I’m playing, I’m the shit. As long as that’s true, I can take it off.'”
Damn straight, Iggy! Wear — or don’t wear — what you want.
20-something Iggy on the cover of 1972's Raw Power album.
As far as I’m concerned, Iggy can go shirtless till he’s 110 years old. He’s Iggy Pop and we’re not!
Happy birthday, Iggy! Keep rocking on with your bad self like you did this month on American Idol.
rock n roll forever …
but he would look fabulous in a Greg Lauren deconstructed vest and shirt too.
I saw Iggy on American Idol a few weeks ago, and admittedly, I was taken aback by his torso. However, you know…if I look that good when I’m 64, then hell yeah! I mean, I’m not taking my shirt off, but I’ll still be wearing what I want, bitches!
Rock on, Wendy, for celebrating those who wear (or not) what they want!
I remember a friend telling me about seeing him in concert in the late 70’s. He was passed, shirtless, overhead by the audience, while smearing himself with peanut butter out of a jar. Guy like that, the rules just don’t apply. 😉
Terrifying, but phenomenally so!
Sadly though, I think a lot of photos of him are photoshoppped? this for example, is not?
http://piccsy.com/2011/01/old-iggy
He’s like a sexy, skinny Shar-Pei. I love it.
I love Iggy Pop and the=at article is Epic. In my opinion it would be equal to Lady Gaga selling pants. Thanks for this article and long live the Godfather of Punk!
Love that you featured Iggy Pop! There is no one else like him, and he really owns his personal style. I really enjoyed reading the article you posted and enjoy learning more abut your inspirations.
Great post, and article. Agreed that rules don’t apply to Iggy. I just wish he wasn’t so orange looking on American Idol. FWIW, I think everyone should own a copy of Raw Power.
He is awesome. The end.
Well said Iggy. You’re the sh*t. Go on stage naked if you so desire!
Hi my dear-yay, for Iggy, he rocks and indeed what a torso, long may it continue to be seen!!
Nah Eli, those wrinkly folds on his stomach are real allright, but they go away when you stand up straight (as in the Leibovitz photo).Seriously. I’m female and I’ve got about the same thickness of body fat over my abdomen as Iggy, I’m almost his age, and my skin does the same thing. As long as you aren’t bending forward, the wrinkles are invisible. Isn’t skin amazing? But you’ll only really see the “disappearing wrinkle” on people of a certain age(when the skin has loosened)who have practically no fat underlay.
“It’s, like, ugh.” I also love the description of his chest “not so much tanned as cured, like unsliced bresaola.”
I adore Iggy. Adore and fear.
I adore Mr. Iggy Pop. Search and Destroy is one the best songs ever. AND I was watching Tank Girl a few days ago and was delighted to see him in it!
I adore Iggy! Great post and great pictures.
Do we have a female Iggy?
What about Chrissie Hynde?
I love meself some of that Iggy Pop poppy attitu-day!
Love that quote that you highlighted. Great post, he’s awesome!
I like Iggy’s taste in reading material:
http://www.ucd.ie/cai/classics-ireland/1995/Pop95.html
I love that reference to the music business as being “a kind of religion-rental.”
The man can do no wrong, must be that cock confidence he has for days (and many inches)! A true icon indeed, I treasure his honor and courage!
Iggy is the hottest animal to currently walk the earth! Not to mention the voice, oh that voice! And he still rocks, saw him a few years ago at a fab old theater in Harlem. A little worse for wear (he now limps) but the man can make a crowd go wild! The Punk Glam Princess saw a recent shirtless pic of him and said “that’s not a 6 pack, that’s a 12 pack!” Haha!
XXX
Suzanne
woot i like him
And thanks to you ripping the page out, I’ll never be able to finished reading the article on “Have to get rid of your pesky gas problem”. Thanks Wendy!
Yikes! We’re all going to regret that!
The guy is a legend and his attitude to clothing (or lack thereof) is wonderful. Great post, Wendy.
When are we going to see Iggy Pop wear a D&G suit with customized Wendy B buttons??? That needs to happen stat. xo mish
From your lips to God’s (and Iggy’s) ears!
I love Iggy. But, WTF is this “air diet” of which he speaks? Yeah, right. I think it’s great that he’ll wear Brioni to dinner! He is the coolest. Still, I was a bit mortified when I saw him perform on American Idol a few weeks ago.
I saw him perform on a late show a long time ago and was completely mesmerized. After that, he could do no wrong in my book. He’s brilliant and I hate to admit a bizarre crush!
Great quote: “When I am playing, I’m the shit.” Totally!
Love it that you have a Lust for Life video with his belly bloody from rolling on stage and a bandmate all coked up – not just the clean MTV video!
Even emaciated, Pop looks better than most guys when they’re shirtless, and around here, that’s saying something!