David Bowie

Lore & Background

David Bowie studied art, music and design before embarking on a music career in 1962. He released a string of unsuccessful singles with local bands and a self-titled solo album before achieving his first success in 1969 with 'Space Oddity', a UK number-five single from his second album. His major commercial breakthrough came in 1972, during the glam rock era, with the Ziggy Stardust character and its accompanying album, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. In 1974, he changed direction and adopted a new persona, Halloween Jack, for the album Diamond Dogs. The soul-influenced Young Americans (1975) was followed by Station to Station (1976), which saw him adopt the Thin White Duke persona and begin taking his music towards art rock, electronica and ambient. Bowie would explore these styles most fully with the Berlin Trilogy: Low, 'Heroes' (both 1977) and Lodger (1979). He achieved his greatest commercial success with Let's Dance in 1983. From 1988 to 1992, he fronted the hard rock band Tin Machine. Bowie resumed his solo career in 1993 and continued experimenting with musical styles, including industrial, jungle and drum and bass.

Outside of music, Bowie received recognition for his acting roles, emphasising smaller parts and cameos rather than leading roles. His best-known films include The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976), Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983), Absolute Beginners, Labyrinth (both 1986), Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992), Basquiat (1996), and The Prestige (2006). He was also a painter and writer, created the first modern celebrity bond ('Bowie Bonds') and, via his website BowieNet, was one of the first artists to engage with fans directly through the Internet. He performed live regularly throughout his career, before retiring from touring in 2004; his last live performance was at a charity event in 2006. He returned from a decade-long recording hiatus in 2013 with The Next Day. His final studio album, Blackstar, released two days before his death in 2016, was analysed as a powerful farewell to his fans.

Reader's Guide

David Bowie's significance lies in his constant reinvention and influence across music, fashion, and popular culture. His record sales were estimated at over 100 million worldwide, making him one of the best-selling musicians of all time. He achieved eleven UK number-one albums, including Aladdin Sane (1973) and Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) (1980), and had UK or US number-one singles with 'Space Oddity' (which reached number-one in the UK on reissue in 1975), 'Fame', 'Ashes to Ashes', 'Under Pressure' (with Queen), 'Let's Dance', and 'Dancing in the Street' (with Mick Jagger). He is the recipient of numerous accolades, including six Grammy Awards and four Brit Awards. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. Rolling Stone ranked him among the greatest singers, songwriters and artists of all time. Although his sexuality is disputed, he is regarded as an influential figure in the LGBTQ community. His legacy includes pioneering direct fan engagement via the Internet and creating the first modern celebrity bond.

Did You Know?

• Bowie was born David Robert Jones on 8 January 1947 in Brixton, London.
• He received a serious injury at school in 1962 when his friend George Underwood punched him in the left eye during a fight over a girl, leaving him with faulty depth perception and anisocoria.
• He created the first modern celebrity bond ('Bowie Bonds') and was one of the first artists to engage with fans directly through the Internet via his website BowieNet.
• His final studio album, Blackstar, was released two days before his death in 2016.

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"I always had a repulsive sort of need to be something more than human. I felt very very puny as a human. I thought, "Fuck that. I want to be a superman." — David Bowie "I'm an instant star. Just add water and stir." — David Bowie "I get offered so many bad movies. And they're all raging queens or transvestites or Martians." — David Bowie "I think fame itself is not a rewarding thing. The most you can say is that it gets you a seat in restaurants." — David Bowie