Iggy and Billie Joe – Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction

Iggy and Billie - Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction, Waldorf Astoria, 3/15/10

UPDATE: A great blog entry from Detroit’s Metro Times on Iggy Pop’s speech can be found here.

It was rock ‘n’ roll (as opposed to the more formal rock and roll) in action. And the fact that it took this band – who are the very definition of the term, with a lead singer who is the very embodiment of rock ‘n’ roll – eight years to get into this institution makes one question the validity of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame all over again…especially when Billie Joe mentioned a multitude of bands and solo artists who would’ve never existed without this crew’s influence. As Iggy joked to me more than a decade ago when discussing the subject of the Hall of Fame and his chances of joining the elite crew: “Well, maybe if I titled one of my albums Fucking Heroic Young Record Executive or something like that…”

– Bill Holdship, Metro Times Music Blagh

Billie Joe Armstrong inducted legendary band, The Stooges, into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last night at the Waldorf. He was really excited and rattled off a long list of incredible bands that have been influenced by The Stooges. Afterward, the master himself, Mr. Pop, sang “I Want to Be Your Dog,” and invited the rockers and the suits and the rich in the audience to sing with him onstage. Tre and Mike rushed up, Mike with bottle in hand. It was a classic and strange Iggy moment. If there is some sanctioned video out there of Iggy’s performance (I love me some Mr. Pop), I’ll add it to this post when I find it. Meanwhile, the GDA put up a gallery of photographs that can be found here.

Courtesy of the Green Day Authority (for however long the clip will stay up):

UPDATE: Stooges Press Conference:

UPDATE: Stooges performance of “I Want To Be Your Dog”

And VIA the political websites Balloon Juice and Wonkette, comes this lovely screen shot of Iggy scaring the former United States Rep. Harold Ford who is sitting in the front row of the Hall of Fame festivities, because, well, y’know, Harold’s… uh… well… uh… rock and roll.

Harold Ford and Iggy Pop, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction