The Boyhood Home of Iggy Pop: Ypsilanti, Michigan

I remember a kid back in the 60s who used to play drums for a Michigan band called The Iguanas. His name was Jim Osterberg.

The Iguanas formed in Ann Arbor in 1963, cut a few records, and was the house band at Club Ponytail in Harbor Springs for a while. Osterberg adopted the name “Iggy” after the name 'Iguanas' and left the band in 1967. They tried to continue without him to no avail.

From there, Iggy formed The Stooges and cranked out some of the rawest rock 'n roll to come outta Michigan. After getting into a brawl with some local bikers, The Stooges played their last show and broke up in 1974. From there, Iggy went solo.

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Backtracking, Iggy grew up in an Ypsilanti trailer park. Coachville, lot #110, to be exact. It seemed an odd choice for a dwelling, since his parents both made good livings. He says part of his quirky celebrity persona was cultivated due to this living situation, especially since other local kids were sometimes not that kind toward him.

Some of the meaner kids from his school came out to Iggy's family mobile home and, according to Iggy, “shook my trailer up a little”. Incidents like this left a lifelong anger in him, that instilled a certain aloofness. When The Iguanas played at some gigs, kids would ask the other band members if Iggy was rich, because he had a kind of “I'm better than you” attitude. Which wasn't true – he was, in a way, attempting to protect himself.

Fast-forward to the 2000s, where Iggy is still out there performing and recording, showing those “mean” school kids that, yeah...maybe he is better than they are after all.

The photo gallery below includes the location of Iggy's mobile home neighborhood, plus some extra photos as well.