David Bowie
Like so many young musicians, David Jones was in and out of a number of unmemorable bands. But it was while he was a member of the Lower Third that David Jones changed his name to David Bowie to avoid any confusion with a fellow Brit with the same name who was appearing in the U.S. television series The Monkees (a weekly rehash of The Beatles’ “A Hard Day’s Night”).
By ’66, Bowie was a solo act. A year later, he started wearing stage make-up, an idea copped from Pink Floyd’s Syd Barrett. His career didn’t do much until he recorded a demo version of “Space Oddity” for Mercury Records.
Mercury signed Bowie with the final version landing in the U.K. Top 5 – a re-issue reached the U.S. Top 20 in ’73. He also had success with “Rebel Rebel” and “Changes.”
The song was written following Bowie’s ’71 North American tour.
Bowie then formed a backing band initially called The Hype with guitarist Mick Ronson. He was integral in the next phase of Bowie’s career. Starting as a popular session guitarist, Ronson was recruited to add some muscle to Bowie’s sound. His work on “Suffragette City” with its blasting multi-note opening and “The Jean Genie’s” biting riff were two exemplary demonstrations of Ronson’s handiwork. On stage Ronson was the perfect foil. Bowie looked frail and delicate, while Ronson had a road warrior appearance.
Bowie’s worldwide breakthrough came with “The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars.” The album. told the fictional story of Ziggy Stardust – the pale Rock ‘n’ Roll star’s rise and eventual demise…. perhaps prophetic considering Bowie’s ’70s drug addiction.
The landmark album was hugely influential. In fact, more than three-decades after its release “Ziggy Stardust” was voted the greatest, gayest album of all time by a panel assembled by Out magazine. “At a time when social and sexual taboos were just starting to break down, Bowie as Ziggy created a world where the possibilities were limitless,” explained the Culture Club’s Boy George.
“Aladdin Sane” followed with the pulsating “The Jean Genie,” the driving “Panic In Detroit” and the cynical Hollywood bashing “Cracked Actor.” In July of ’72, Bowie appeared at a London charity concert and proclaimed, by way of a self-introduction, “I’m Ziggy,” forever blurring the line between the creature and the creator.
The song was originally offered to Mott The Hopple who decided to record Bowie’s “All The Young Dudes” instead.
Exactly, a year later an exhausted Bowie announced he was retiring. Soon he slightly reversed himself claiming it was the Ziggy persona that was going away. But then, apparently after waking in a foul mood, Bowie announced in ’75, “I’ve rocked my roll. It’s a boring dead end. There’ll be no more Rock and Roll records or tours from me.” Of course there were, but Bowie had to kick a heroin addiction first.
It would have been a pity if Bowie had kept his word. That year he had a #1 U.S, hit with “Fame.” A decade earlier The Beatles’ Apple Records passed on the opportunity to sign Bowie. Now he recorded “Fame” with ex-Beatle John Lennon (who also co-wrote the song) on backing vocals. It became Bowie’s most successful U.S. single. Also that year, Bowie scored another Top 10 hit with “Golden Years,”
When the ’80s arrived, Bowie delivered the “Let’s Dance” album with the title track, “Modern Love” and “China Girl,” (the latter co-written by drug abuser/recovery partner and collaborator Iggy Pop).
The ’84 release, “Tonight” held “Blue Jean,” a Top 10 hit in both the U.S. and U.K. The accompanying clip won the ’85 Grammy for Best Music Video.
In the late ’80s/early ’90s, Bowie fronted the Tin Machine, a thrash Rock outfit that proved to be an uneventful tangent.
Speaking of tangents, Bowie was deeply involved in Internet music delivery having several songs released on-line. He also sold stock in himself with shareholders sharing future royalties.
A Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award came in ‘06 but just month later Bowie announced, “I’m taking a year off—no touring, no albums.” He did perform alongside Alicia Keys, at the Black Ball, a New York benefit event for Keep a Child Alive. That performance marked the last time Bowie performed his music on stage.
When a legendary performer makes a comeback it usually comes with a lot of hoopla. Bowie would have none of that. Rather, he recorded in secret and on the occasion of his 66th birthday Bowie released his first song in a decade, “Where Are We Now?,” via iTunes. The track was produced by Bowie’s long-time collaborator Tony Visconti and the accompanying video revisited Bowie’s late-70’s residency in Berlin.
“Where Are We Now?, topped the U.K. iTunes chart and debuted at #6 on the U.K. Singles chart – Bowie’s first Top 10 hit in two decades. That song and a second single, “The Stars (Are Out Tonight)” were on his album “The Next Day.” According to Visconti, over two-dozen songs were recorded.
Bowie ruled out any interviews or concerts to promote “The Next Day.” All “he wants to do is make records,” stated Visconti, acting as Bowie’s “voice on earth.”
“The Next Day” sold 56,000 copies on its first day in the U.K. to claim the top spot on the album chart.
Bowie released “Blackstar,” consisting of original material, on his 69th birthday. But just two days later, January 10th, ’16, he passed away. “David Bowie died peacefully today surrounded by his family after a courageous 18-month battle with cancer,” read a statement posted on the artist’s social media accounts.
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