In an unexpected turn of events, Iggy and The Stooges will perform in place of Madonna at her induction ceremony into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Whether this means The Stooges will actually perform songs by The Material Girl ("Like a Virgin," perhaps?) or simply play their own material, or do something else entirely, is unclear.
Other performances slated for the ceremony, to be held Mar. 10 at Manhattan's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, include Damien Rice for Leonard Cohen; James Cotton for Little Walter; Patti LaBelle for the songwriting team Gamble & Huff; John Mellencamp; The Ventures; and a "special performance" for The Dave Clark Five, whose lead singer, Mike Smith, died last Thursday of pneumonia at the age of 64.
While it's hard to imagine an odder pairing than The Stooges and Madonna, the latter seems to be a fan of the former: The Stooges opened for her in Dublin during her 2004 "Re-Invention" tour, and both acts are natives of Detroit.
PHOTO: Iggy Pop at Glastonbury, 2007, from bbc.co.uk.