By Robert Markoe
Born – David Robert Jones, Jan.-1947. In London, England, Dies-March 10th-2016., in N.Y. City.
Bowie’s second wife was the Super Model, Iman. Was a band member of the, Tin Machine, Band Aid, The Hype, The Arnold Corns, The Riot Squad, David Jones and the King Bee’s, The Buzz.
Bowie was known as being the Blond Rock Icon, within the pop music culture. Bowie changed his name in the 1960’s, so not to be confused with the Monkeey’s, band member, Davey Jones. Bowie struggled in the 1960’s, until his breakthrough, with Space Oddity, in 1969, after trying various kinds of music. In 1972 he had a comeback of sorts with, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust, and the Spiders from Mars, a (concept album).
I first listened to Bowie in 1972, and was very taken by his music; also at the time I was listening to, Mott the Hoople, which features a song, titled, Sweet Jane, written by , Bowie. The albums best song, maybe.
By the mid, 1970’s, Bowie had become a major cocaine, and heroin user. In 1975, he releases, Young Americans, which produced his first number one hit. He also appears in the film, The Man Who Fell to Earth, resembling, an alien with his skeletal frame.
Bowie decides to settle in Berlin, in the late 1970’s, after signs of insanity surface in his personality; Bowie ends drug use, and acts in the Broadway Show, The Elephant Man. In 1983, releases the very large song, Let’s Dance, and loses interest in acting. In 1992, he changes direction again, and marries super model (Iman).
In June of 2004, Bowie suffers a heart attack, during his reality Tour. In 2008 he releases the album (The Next Day), after a 10 year absence from the music business. Bowie has changed the course of popular music, more than one time. His video’s in the 70’s and 80’s, are thought to be ground breaking, and when he performed live, he was considered to be one of the most theatrical musicians, within the pop realm, of all time.
In1968 Bowie wrote some lyrics to a French song (Asusual), which was reworked by pop singer, Paul Anka. This song became a major hit for, Frank Sinatra, who gave the song the title (My Way). Bowie was not reserved about being seen as a gay person, and it did not detract from his fame.
Bowie was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 1996, and American Song Writers Hall Of Fame In 2006. Bowie was listed as one of the richest British Pop Stars, earning more than 30 million in 2001, more than, Sir Paul McCartney, of The Beatles.
Bowie cited American Rock Star, Little Richard, as a major musical influence, in an interview with Rolling Stone Magazine in 1983, and also stated in the article that his gay sexuality was a falsehood.
At the age of 59, Bowie gave up cigarettes, (smoked 50 per day) but admitted before his untimely death, along with the dead, Beatle, lead guitarist, that cigarette smoking, played a major role, in their untimely, and sad deaths.
Bowie could play 14 different musical instruments. He lived N.Y.City, and died there. Another interesting fact about Bowie, was that The Beatles, Record Label, Apple, rejected him, early in his carrier.
Bowie was the musician that discovered, the late great virtuoso Blues Guitarist, Stevie Ray Vaughn, where Bowie utilized Vaughn as the guitar player on the song (Lets Dance). Bowie, once asked John Lennon, what he thought of his act, and Lennon replied “it’s great, but it’s just rock & roll with lip-stick on”.
Bowie, released in his career 26 albums, and went on world tours 5 times; one thing he wished he had never done was drugs.
In my collection of more than 800 albums, I have six albums by him; The Album, Aladdin Sane, to me was the best, but they were all good; possibly I might have listened to his music more often, but he was a little out there, the expression that” there is a fine line between a genius, and a madman”, fits here.
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