Ongoing History Daily: The time Elton John (in a gorilla suit) attacked Iggy Pop

May 14, 2021 Alan Cross 0 Comments 0 min read

What I’m about to tell you sounds like one of those made-up rock’n’roll stories, but trust me when I say that this actually happened.

Back in 1973, Iggy Pop and the Stooges were playing a gig in Atlanta at a club called Richard’s. Iggy, as usual, was under the influence of a cocktail of drugs, including PCP and a lot of acid.

Unfortunately for Iggy, a music magazine had planned a publicity stunt for that evening. They had Elton John dress in a gorilla suit—stay with me—and had him jump up onstage to dance with Iggy during the set.

Iggy freaked out. His altered state told him that he was being attacked by a real gorilla. He totally freaked out. A doctor had to give him a shot of methedrine just so he could talk again.

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

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