David Squires delves into… David Bowie and Dennis Hopper trying to ‘save’ Iggy Pop from rehab
Some episodes in rock history feel just too far-fetched to be true. But when they involve Iggy Pop, David Bowie and Dennis Hopper, you can bet that even the most ludicrous tales are undeniable.
It’s a triumvirate of destruction that feels hard to quantify. The two musicians were great buddies but also some of the most chaotic hedonists around, and they were somehow dwarfed by the scary nature of Hopper’s excess.
We’re taking a look back at a moment in which the three men of deranged brilliance came together to help forge a clever plot to achieve one of two things: either break out Iggy Pop from his rehab or, alternatively, smuggle cocaine in for him. Hey, what are friends for?
Iggy Pop had struggled to get himself back on track following the demise of The Stooges and he spiralled. Arrests piled up, parties blurred together, and by the time he reached court, the choice was stark: prison or rehab. He chose the UCLA psychiatric facility, where he was diagnosed with hypomania and spent his days trying, and often failing, to connect with the programme. His friends decided enough was enough.
One version of the story claims that Bowie and Stockwell showed up completely stoned, dressed in space gear, demanding to see Iggy. Another insists it was Bowie and Hopper on a drug-smuggling rescue mission.
What everyone agrees on is this: they were let in because the staff were starstruck, and once inside, they opened their cosmic care package and shared it with Iggy, who accepted without hesitation. To them, this seemed like support. To literally anyone else, it seemed like madness.
All is well that ends well, with Bowie often being cited as the one who helped pull Iggy out of his addiction issues. But it does make for one of the more batshit stories you have ever heard.
It’s just about the perfect rock and roll story.
