(CNN) -- Iggy Pop invented punk rock. That's how cool he is. His songs have been covered by the likes of Guns N' Roses, REM, The Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Sex Pistols. Iggy Pop: The wildest man in rock music. He is the wildest wild man of rock and his four-decade career has been marked by drug addiction, self mutilation and onstage nudity -- and at 61 years old he is showing no signs of growing old gracefully. Born on April 21, 1947, in Muskegon, Michigan, James Newell Osterberg grew up in a trailer park. When he began learning the drums as a teenager his parents gave up their bedroom to house his drum kit. It wasn't long before he took his talent out of the bedroom, playing with high-school band The Iguanas, from which he later took his stage name.
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Iggy Pop and The Stooges produced three classic albums in the 60s and 70s
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In 1975, Iggy checked himself into a mental institution in a bid to get off Heroin
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David Bowie co-wrote and produced Iggy's The Idiot and Lust for Life albums
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The Stooges re-united in 2003 and have since played all over the world
More commercial than @placeholder' records, Iggy's solo albums were met with critical acclaim and better sales, but never breakthrough into the mainstream.