- Jan 7, 2002
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Literally flipping off the establishment as they took their rightful place among rock's elite, Ann Arbor's the Stooges brought a genuine punk rock spirit to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony Monday night.
Stooges frontman Iggy Pop took the podium at New York's Waldorf Astoria hotel and immediately raised two middle fingers to the crowd, a nod to the band's seven prior Hall of Fame strikeouts. But he was all smiles as he accepted the honor in front of an industry crowd that included Meryl Streep, Bruce Springsteen and a host of others. "We won!" he exclaimed proudly, as the Stooges joined a Hall of Fame class that included Genesis, ABBA, Jimmy Cliff and the Hollies. "We didn't win a lot starting out."
Iggy was joined on stage by Stooges guitarist James Williamson and drummer Scott Asheton, whom he described collectively as "the surviving Stooges."
Iggy focused his short acceptance speech on people and things he deemed "cool," including Ron Asheton; fellow counterculture rockers MC5; Danny Fields, who discovered the band; his wife; and "all the poor people who actually started rock and roll."
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As Williamson took the mike to thank the host of musicians who have played in the Stooges over the years, Iggy stood behind him, removing his jacket and unbuttoning his shirt. He was down to just his tuxedo pants by the time the Stooges took the stage and performed "Search and Destroy," along with the group's signature song, "I Wanna Be Your Dog." On the latter, Iggy roamed into the audience, conjuring up a familiar sense of danger and stopping himself just short of throwing himself onto one of the round tables that dotted the posh ballroom. He returned to the stage and invited -- nay, dared -- members of the audience to join him and his band thrashed behind him. "C'mon, rich people! C'mon, let's get some rich ladies up here!" he squawked. "Show me you're not too rich to be cool!"
Among those who took him up on the offer were Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder, who giddily jumped around the stage like a teenager at his first concert, and the members of Green Day.
It was Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong who inducted the Stooges, saying the group "symbolized the destruction of flower power and introduced us to raw power."
As much as the Stooges goofed on their induction into the Hall, when Iggy flashed that smile on Monday, you could tell it was authentic. And that, too, is cool.
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