"The Godfather of Punk". "The Rock Iguana". James Newell Osterberg, Jr. Not ringing any bells? Well, that's because you probably know him as Iggy Pop.

Born April 21, 1947 to an executive secretary mother and a schoolteacher father, James Osterberg, Jr. grew up in a trailer park in Ypsilanti, Michigan. James began to show his musical tendencies from an early age, and by the time he was in high school, he was drumming for several different bands, one of which would spawn his stage name. The Iguanas. Iggy. Iggy Pop.

But no matter what you call him (and we have no doubt that there are at least a couple of other more colorful names floating around out there), even the critics agree that Iggy Pop was one of the most ground-breaking and influential artists of his time.

A singer, songwriter, and all around punk legend, Iggy led the musical vanguard that brought about the evolution of punk rock and heavy metal. With his band, The Stooges, Iggy redefined the musical sounds of the late 60s and early 70s, blasting through the more mild and melodic music of the previous era. It was in this time that Iggy and the Stooges released Raw Power, an album that is considered a landmark in the punk rock soundscape.

But anyone who knows anything about Iggy Pop will tell you that it he was much more than just the music. For Iggy, it was also about the show. Integrating this new style of music with some highly, uh, “inventive” stage behavior, Iggy Pop created a legacy of individualism and influence that continues to carry on today. Inspired by the Jim Morrison's stage theatrics at a concert in Ann Arbor, Iggy Pop would go on to inspire many other young musicians. Self-mutilation, rolling around in glass, smearing himself with peanut butter, vomiting, the list goes on. And on.

In the late 70s, Iggy Pop began a collaboration and friendship with David Bowie that would last many years. Iggy also released several albums that fell commercially flat, but with the success of "China Girl", a song that he co-wrote with Bowie, he became financially secure, kicked his drug habit and got married.

Although his career has been a little sporadic over the past 5 decades, Iggy Pop just keeps it coming. In recent years, he's released an album, worked on several collaborations with bands like Sum 41 and Green Day. It seems that after 40 years of making music, Iggy Pop is here to stay.

And they said punk was dead.