The life story of Nina Alu, wife of singer and actor Iggy Pop
Nina Alu is best known as Iggy Pop's wife. Iggy Pop, a renowned singer, songwriter, and actor, is widely recognized as the "Godfather of Punk." He was the vocalist and lyricist of The Stooges proto-punk band. The couple has enjoyed marital bliss for over a decade despite their 20+ year age difference.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Despite her husband's prominence, Nina prefers maintaining a low-key lifestyle away from the limelight. Read on to discover what the public knows about her so far.
Profile summary
Full name | Nina Alu |
Gender | Female |
Birthdate | 1 January 1970 |
Age | 54 years old (2024) |
Zodiac sign | Capricorn |
Birthplace | USA |
Residence | Miami, Florida, USA |
Nationality | American |
Ethnicity | Mixed |
Religion | Christianity |
Height | 5'7" (170 cm) |
Hair color | Black |
Eye color | Dark brown |
Sexuality | Straight |
Marital status | Married |
Spouse | Iggy Pop |
Children | None |
Stepson | Eric Benson |
Alma mater | Howard University |
Qualification | Broadcast journalism degree |
Other qualification(s) | Bachelor of Arts degree |
Career | Former flight attendant |
Who is Nina Alu?
Nina is the famed wife of Iggy Pop, the legendary "Godfather of Punk." She was a flight attendant for US Airways before her relationship with the American singer propelled her into fame.
What is Nina Alu's age?
She is 54 years old (2024) and was born on 1 January 1970 in the USA.
Nina Alu's educational background
Nina studied broadcast journalism at Howard University School of Communications and earned a bachelor of arts degree in 1996. She decided not to pursue a career in journalism and became a flight attendant instead.
Who is Iggy Pop?
James Newell Osterberg Jr., known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter, actor, and radio broadcaster. He was born on 21 April 1947 in Muskegon, Michigan, USA.
Iggy began his career as a drummer for various bands while in high school, including the Iguanas, which he formed in 1963. After dropping out of the University of Michigan, he moved to Chicago and became famous as a vocalist through the Psychedelic Stooges.
Iggy Pop's songs
After the Psychedelic Stooges disbanded in 1973, Iggy released solo albums and collaborated with other artists. His hit single, China Girl, from his debut solo album, The Idiot (1977), was based upon an affair that Pop had had with a Vietnamese woman.
The success of China Girl gave him a financial breakthrough and led to his marriage to a Japanese girl called Suchi Asano. Pop reunited with The Stooges from 2003 to 2010 before continuing his solo career. All his solo albums from 1977 to September 2024 are:
Year | Studio album |
1977 | The Idiot |
1977 | Lust for Life |
1977 | Kill City (Iggy Pop & James Williamson) |
1979 | New Values |
1980 | Soldier |
1981 | Party |
1982 | Zombie Birdhouse |
1986 | Blah-Blah-Blah |
1988 | Instinct |
1990 | Brick by Brick |
1993 | American Caesar |
1996 | Naughty Little Doggie |
1999 | Avenue B |
2001 | Beat 'Em Up |
2003 | Skull Ring |
2009 | Préliminaires |
2012 | Après |
2016 | Post-Pop Depression |
2019 | Free |
2023 | Every Loser |
Iggy Pop's movies
As an on-screen star, Pop has appeared in numerous films, including:
Year | Film |
1986 | Sid and Nancy |
1986 | The Color of Money |
1990 | Hardware (voice only) |
1990 | Cry-Baby |
1991 | The Lovers on the Bridge |
1995 | Dead Men |
1995 | Tank Girl |
1996 | The Crow: City of Angels |
1997 | The Brave |
1998 | Great Expectations |
1998 | The Rugrats Movie |
2000 | Snow Day |
2003 | Coffee and Cigarettes |
2009 | S*uck |
2013 | The Brats |
2016 | Sad Vacation |
2018 | Bad Reputation |
2021 | Jane by Charlotte |
What is Iggy Pop's diet?
Once a hard-living punk star, Iggy adheres to a strict macrobiotic diet. He primarily consumes plant-based food.
Iggy Pop's disability
The Snow Day star has scoliosis. As such, one of his legs is an inch-and-a-half shorter than the other. This is because of a sideway curvature of the spine. However, he is healthy and lives a normal life.
Iggy Pop and Nina Alu's relationship history
Nina is Iggy Pop's third wife after Wendy Weissberg, whom he married for several weeks in 1968, and Suchi Asano, whom he married in 1984 and divorced in 1999. Meanwhile, the singer is Nina Alu's first husband.
How did Iggy Pop meet his wife?
Iggy Pop and Nina Alu met in Miami in 1999. He was driving around in his 1968 cherry-red Cadillac convertible when he saw Nina walking into a pizza parlor with her friend.
It had been almost two years since he divorced Suchi Asano, his wife of fifteen years, and moved from New York to Miami. On top of that, the singer has gone through a couple of relationships post-divorce and was single again.
So, when Iggy saw the two ladies, he entered the pizza parlor next door, where he sat, sneaking peeks at them. The singer told Rolling Stone in 2003:
Yeah, I was checking them out, thinking, What the hell am I gonna do? I'm really not good with the pickups. I'm a klutz and don't have a line of gab. I'm only good if they know who I am. So I'll just sit and wait for somebody to say, 'Aren't you…?' and then go from there. But that wasn't happening. So, anyway, I got back in my car, pulled up to where they were, and said, 'You girls want to go for a ride?' And they did! So then I started dating Nina.
Nina was still a US Airways flight attendant, having decided not to go into broadcast journalism. Iggy Pop recounted one of their dates in a 2019 interview with The New Yorker. During the outing, another one of his classic cars, an electric blue 1984 Ferrari, caught on fire. Pop said:
I had a date with a girl who became my wife, and I took her somewhere nice, and on the way home, she said, 'I think the car's on fire!'
About one year into their relationship, Nina moved in with Pop in 2000 and quit being a flight attendant to focus on their love.
Is Iggy Pop still married to Nina?
Iggy and Nina lived together for eight years before marrying on 22 November 2008. There has never been any news about them divorcing or separating. Nina told Rolling Stone in 2003:
I love Iggy Pop, and I respect him, but I don't think I could live with him.
A decade later, Pop talked about Nina in a 2013 interview with the Sydney Morning Herald, saying:
I found myself hitting 50 and realizing that I was lucky to meet her. Happiness with a woman doesn't need to be complicated. When you find the right one, it's easy.
The couple has attended many glamorous events together, including the 2019 GQ Men Of The Year Awards, at which Pop received a Lifetime Achievement Award.
The singer wore a semi-sheer mesh shirt, a crisp navy blazer, and matching suit trousers, while his wife donned a shimmering silver satin gown and pearl-studded heels.
In 2023, Pop's interview with the New York Times touched on his past, having a relationship with 13-year-old Sable Starr at age 23, as mentioned in his memoir, Iggy Pop: Open Up and Bleed. The singer responded:
Well, now I’m married to someone around 50 years old and I’m a much different person than I was... I think most artists, when they’re young, pursue beauty when it presents itself. Things were much different in those times in general.
Does Iggy Pop have children?
Nina Alu and Iggy Pop have never had a child together, but the singer has a son, Eric Benson (born in 1970), from his previous relationship with Paulette Benson. He was twenty-one and living in Ann Arbor when his son was born. Eric was brought up by his mother in California and lives in Berlin now.
How much is Nina Alu's net worth?
It is difficult to estimate her net worth because she has not had a career since she married Iggy Pop. On the other hand, Celebritynetworth estimates Iggy Pop's net worth to be $20 million. His earnings primarily come from his successful musical and acting careers.
Where is Nina Alu in 2024?
She enjoys a quiet life in a 5,252-square-foot house in the exclusive Coconut Grove gated community of Miami, Florida, with Iggy Pop. The American singer transferred its ownership to her in 2008, a month after they got married. He bought the five-bedroom, five-bathroom mansion for $4.1 million in 2016.
Is Nina Alu on Wikipedia?
Wikipedia mentions her in Iggy Pop's biography as the singer's wife but doesn't delve deep into her life and their relationship. Nonetheless, several well-known blogs have written about her life.
Nina Alu's height
Singer Iggy Pop's wife is 5 feet 7 inches (170 centimeters) tall.
Facts about Nina Alu
- She is an American citizen born to a Nigerian father.
- She enjoys dancing around the house with Iggy, who has been twerking for most of his career.
- After a high-energy performance, Pop and Alu unwind at home with wine and dessert.
- Their bird (Moluccan cockatoo) is called Biggy Pop and is an Instagram influencer.
- Biggy Pop is often seen dancing on social media with Alu and Pop.
- Iggy and Alu rescued the bird from catastrophic bushfires that decimated its population.
- Their bird was named “founding patron” of the Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital in Australia in 2020.
Nina Alu has chosen a private lifestyle away from the internet's prying eyes. Nonetheless, her unwavering support for Iggy's career is unmatched.
Briefly.co.za published the biography of Tamara Gilmer. She came into the limelight due to her short-lived marriage and divorce from the American country music singer-songwriter Rory Feek.
Feek is widely known for country music hits like Someone You Used to Know, which were in the top five tracks in 1999. Since the divorce, many have been interested in knowing Tamara's whereabouts.
Source: Briefly News
Ruth Gitonga (Lifestyle writer) Ruth Gitonga has a background experience in Mass Communication for over six years. She graduated from the University of Nairobi with a degree in Mass Communication in December 2014. In 2023, Ruth finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. She has worked for Briefly.co.za for five years now. She specializes in topics like lifestyle, entertainment, travel, technology, and sports. Email: gitongaruth14@gmail.com.
Peris Walubengo (Lifestyle writer) Peris Walubengo is a content creator with 5 years of experience writing articles, researching, editing, and proofreading. She has a Bachelor of Commerce & IT from the University of Nairobi and joined Briefly.co.za in November 2019. The writer completed a Google News Initiate Course. She covers bios, marketing & finance, tech, fashion & beauty, recipes, movies & gaming reviews, culture & travel. You can email her at perisrodah254@gmail.com.