Bowie, David

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{{epname|Bowie, David}}
 
{{Infobox musical artist  
 
{{Infobox musical artist  
 
| Name                = David Bowie  
 
| Name                = David Bowie  
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| Img                = David Bowie.jpg
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| Img                = BowieRaR87.jpg
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| Img_capt            = David Bowie, 2006.
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| Img_capt            = David Bowie in 1987
 
| Img_size            =  
 
| Img_size            =  
 
| Landscape          =  
 
| Landscape          =  
 
| Background          = solo_singer
 
| Background          = solo_singer
 
| Birth_name          = David Jones
 
| Birth_name          = David Jones
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| Born                = {{Birth date and age|1947|1|8|df=yes}}<br/>[[Brixton]], [[England]]
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| Born                = {{Birth date|1947|1|8|df=no}}<br/>[[Brixton]], [[England]]
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| Years_active        = 1964—present
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| Died  = {{Death date and age|mf=yes|2016|1|10|1947|1|8}}
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| Years_active        = 1964—2016
 
| Instrument          = [[Singer|Vocals]], [[multi-instrumentalist]]
 
| Instrument          = [[Singer|Vocals]], [[multi-instrumentalist]]
 
| Genre              = [[Rock music|Rock]], [[glam rock]], [[art rock]], [[pop rock]], [[blue-eyed soul]], [[experimental music|experimental]]
 
| Genre              = [[Rock music|Rock]], [[glam rock]], [[art rock]], [[pop rock]], [[blue-eyed soul]], [[experimental music|experimental]]
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| URL                = [http://www.davidbowie.com www.davidbowie.com]
 
| URL                = [http://www.davidbowie.com www.davidbowie.com]
 
}}
 
}}
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'''David Bowie''' ({{pronEng|ˈboʊiː}}) (born '''David Robert Jones''' on 8 January 1947) is an [[England|English]] [[musician]], [[actor]], [[Record producer|producer]], [[Arrangement|arranger]], and [[audio engineer]]. Active in five decades of [[rock music]] and frequently reinventing his music and image, Bowie is regarded as an influential innovator, particularly for his work through the 1970s.<Ref>[http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:bx2m96oo3epo~T1 David Bowie] by Stephen Thomas Erlewine; URL accessed March 21, 2007</ref>
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'''David Bowie''' ({{pronEng|ˈboʊiː}} - born '''David Robert Jones''', January 8, 1947 - January 10, 2016) was an [[England|English]] [[musician]], [[singer-songwriter]], [[actor]], [[Record producer|producer]], [[Arrangement|arranger]], and [[audio engineer]]. Active in five decades of [[rock music]] and frequently reinventing both his music and image, Bowie is regarded as an influential musical innovator.
  
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Although he released an album and numerous singles earlier, David Bowie first caught the eye and ear of the public in the autumn of 1969, when his space-age mini-[[melodrama]] "[[Space Oddity]]" reached the top five of the [[UK singles chart]]. After a three-year period of experimentation he re-emerged in 1972 during the [[glam rock]] era as a flamboyant, [[androgynous]] alter ego Ziggy Stardust, spearheaded by the hit single "[[Starman (song)|Starman]]" and the album ''[[The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars]]''. The relatively short-lived Ziggy persona epitomised a career often marked by musical innovation, reinvention and striking visual presentation.
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Bowie first caught the eye and ear of the public in the autumn of 1969, when his space-age mini-[[melodrama]] "[[Space Oddity]]" reached the top five of the [[UK singles chart]]. In 1972, his seminal concept album ''The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust'' made Bowie's [[androgy]]nous persona famous. In 1975, he achieved his first major American success with the number-one single "[[Fame (David Bowie song)|Fame]]" and the hit album ''[[Young Americans (album)|Young Americans]]''. He then confounded the expectations of both his record label and his American audiences by recording the [[minimalist]] album ''[[Low (album)|Low]],'' the first of three collaborations with [[Brian Eno]]. He scored a major hit in 1983 with "Let's Dance," which went to number one in both the [[United States]] and [[United Kingdom]] and is now considered a classic. The innovative 1984 video "[[Jazzin' for Blue Jean]]" won Bowie a Grammy Award for [[Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video|Best Short Form Music Video]].
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Bowie also achieved success as a stage and film actor, notably in the 1976 movie ''[[The Man Who Fell to Earth (film)|The Man Who Fell to Earth]].'' He was inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] at the eleventh annual induction ceremony in 1996. In 2006, he was awarded the [[Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award]].  
  
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In 1975, Bowie achieved his first major American crossover success with the number-one single "[[Fame (David Bowie song)|Fame]]" and the hit album ''[[Young Americans (album)|Young Americans]]'', which the singer identified as "plastic soul." The sound constituted a radical shift in style that initially alienated many of his UK devotees.<ref>Carr & Murray (1981): pp.68-74</ref>  He then confounded the expectations of both his record label and his American audiences by recording the [[minimalist]] album ''[[Low (album)|Low]]'' – the first of three collaborations with [[Brian Eno]]. His most experimental works to date, the so-called "[[Berlin Trilogy]]" nevertheless produced three UK top-five albums.
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==Life==
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Bowie was born David Robert Jones in [[Brixton]], south [[London]], on January 8, 1947. His mother, Margaret Mary "Peggy" (née Burns), was from [[Kent]], the daughter of poor Irish immigrants who had settled in Manchester. She worked as a waitress while his father, Haywood Stenton "John" Jones, from Yorkshire, was a promotions officer for the children's charity [[Barnardo's]]. The family lived near the border of the south London areas of Brixton and [[Stockwell]]. Bowie attended Stockwell Infants School until he was six years old, acquiring a reputation as a gifted and single-minded child—and a defiant brawler.
  
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After uneven commercial success in the late 1970s, Bowie had UK number ones with the 1980 single "[[Ashes to Ashes (song)|Ashes to Ashes]]" and its parent album, ''[[Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)]]''. He paired with [[Queen (band)|Queen]] for the 1981 UK chart-topper "[[Under Pressure]]," but consolidated his commercial – and, until then, most profitable – sound in 1983 with the album ''[[Let's Dance (David Bowie album)|Let's Dance]]'', which yielded the hit singles "[[China Girl]]," "[[Modern Love (song)|Modern Love]]," and most famously, the [[Let's Dance (David Bowie song)|title track]].
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In 1953, Bowie moved with his family to the suburb of [[Bromley]], where, two years later, he progressed to Burnt Ash Junior School. His voice was considered "adequate" by the school choir, and he demonstrated above-average abilities in playing the [[Recorder (musical instrument)|recorder]]. At the age of nine, his dancing during the newly introduced [[music and movement]] classes was strikingly imaginative. The same year, his interest in music was further stimulated when his father brought home a collection of American [[Gramophone record|45s]] by artists including [[Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers]], [[the Platters]], [[Fats Domino]], [[Elvis Presley]], and [[Little Richard]]. By the end of the following year he had taken up the [[ukulele]] and [[tea-chest bass]] and begun to participate in [[skiffle]] sessions with friends, and had started to play the piano; meanwhile his stage presentation of numbers by both Presley and [[Chuck Berry]]—complete with gyrations in tribute to the original artists—to his local [[Cub Scout|Wolf Cub]] group was described as mesmerizing. After taking his [[eleven plus exam]] at the conclusion of his Burnt Ash Junior education, Bowie went to [[Ravens Wood School|Bromley Technical High School]].
  
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In the [[BBC]]'s 2002 poll of the [[100 Greatest Britons]], Bowie ranked 29. Throughout his career he has sold an estimated 196 million albums {{Fact|date=February 2008}}, and ranks among the ten best-selling acts in UK pop history. In 2004, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine ranked him 39th on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.<ref>{{cite web| title = The Immortals: The First Fifty| work = Rolling Stone Issue 946| publisher = Rolling Stone| url =http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5939214/the_immortals_the_first_fifty}}</ref>
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It was an unusual technical school, as biographer Christopher Sandford wrote: {{blockquote|Despite its status it was, by the time David arrived in 1958, as rich in arcane ritual as any [English] public school. There were houses, named after eighteenth-century statesmen like Pitt and Wilberforce. There was a uniform, and an elaborate system of rewards and punishments. There was also an accent on languages, science and particularly design, where a collegiate atmosphere flourished under the tutorship of Owen Frampton. In David's account, Frampton led through force of personality, not intellect; his colleagues at Bromley Tech were famous for neither, and yielded the school's most gifted pupils to the arts, a regime so liberal that Frampton actively encouraged his own son, Peter, to pursue a musical career with David, a partnership briefly intact thirty years later. ~ Christopher Sandford, ''Bowie: Loving the Alien'' (Time Warner, 1997), 21–22.}}
  
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== Biography ==
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Bowie studied art, music and design, including layout and typesetting. After Terry Burns, his half-brother, introduced him to modern [[jazz]], his enthusiasm for players like [[Charles Mingus]] and [[John Coltrane]] led his mother to give him a plastic [[alto saxophone]] in 1961; he was soon receiving lessons from a local musician.  
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=== 1947 to 1967: Early years ===
 
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David Robert Jones was born in [[Brixton]], [[London]], to a father from [[Tadcaster]] in [[Yorkshire]] and a mother from an [[Irish people|Irish]] family;<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0670006/ "Episode for 29 November 2003"]. ''[[Parkinson (TV series)]]''. [29 [November]] 2003.</ref> Bowie's parents were married shortly after his birth.<ref>[http://www.bowiewonderworld.com/faq.htm#p06 Bowiewonderworld.com]</ref> When he was six years old, his family moved from Brixton to [[Bromley]] in [[Kent]], where he attended the Bromley Technical High School.<ref>later renamed [[Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication|Ravensbourne College]]</ref><ref>Buckley (2000): p.27</ref>
 
  
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Bowie's interest in music was sparked at the age of nine when his father brought home a collection of American [[Gramophone record|45s]], including [[Fats Domino]], [[Chuck Berry]] and, most particularly, [[Little Richard]]. Upon listening to "[[Tutti Frutti (song)|Tutti Frutti]]," Bowie would later say, "I had heard God".<ref>Peter Doggett (2007). "Teenage Wildlife," ''MOJO 60 Years of Bowie'': pp.8-9</ref> His half-brother Terry introduced him to [[Jazz|modern jazz]]. He formed his first band in 1962, the Konrads and then played with various blues/beat groups, such as The King Bees, [[The Manish Boys]], The Lower Third and [[The Riot Squad]] in the mid-1960s, releasing his first record, the single "[[Liza Jane]]," with the King Bees in 1964. His early work shifted through the [[blues]] and [[Elvis]]-inspired music while working with many British [[Pop music|pop]] styles.
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An admitted bi-sexual, Bowie met his first wife [[Angela Bowie]] in 1969. They married on March 19, 1970 at Bromley Register Office in Beckenham Lane, [[Kent]], [[England]] where she permanently took his adopted last name. Their son was born on May 30, 1971 and named [[Duncan Jones|Zowie]]. They separated after eight years of marriage and divorced in 1980.
  
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During the early 1960s, Bowie was performing either under his own name or the stage name "Davie Jones," and briefly even as "Davy Jones," creating confusion with [[Davy Jones (actor)|Davy Jones]] of [[The Monkees]]. To avoid this, in 1966 he chose "Bowie" for his stage name, after the [[Battle of the Alamo|Alamo]] hero [[Jim Bowie]] and his famous [[Bowie knife]].<ref>Buckley (2000): p.33</ref> During this time, he recorded singles for [[Parlophone Records|Parlophone]] under the name of [[The Manish Boys]] and Davy Jones and for [[Pye Records|Pye]] under the name David Bowie (and The Lower Third), all without success.
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Bowie married his second wife, the [[Somalia|Somali]]-born [[supermodel]] [[Iman (model)|Iman Abdulmajid]], in 1992. The couple had a daughter, Alexandria Zahra Jones (known as Lexi), born August 15, 2000. They lived in Manhattan and London.
  
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Bowie released his first album in 1967 for the [[Decca Records]] offshoot [[Deram Records|Deram]], simply called ''[[David Bowie (album)|David Bowie]]'', an amalgam of [[Pop music|pop]], [[psychedelic rock|psychedelia]], and [[music hall]].  
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Bowie died on January 10, 2016, two days after releasing the album ''Blackstar'' on his 69th birthday, from liver cancer at his New York home. He had been diagnosed with the malignancy eighteen months previously.
  
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Influenced by the dramatic arts, he studied with [[Lindsay Kemp]]—from [[avant-garde]] [[theatre]] and [[mime artist|mime]] to [[Commedia del Arte|Commedia dell'arte]]—and much of his work would involve the creation of characters or personae to present to the world. During 1967, Bowie sold his first song to another artist, "Oscar" (an early stage name of actor-musician [[Paul Nicholas]]). Bowie wrote Oscar's third single, "Over the Wall We Go," which satirised life in a British prison.<ref>Carr & Murray (1981): p.117</ref> In late 1968, his then-manager, Kenneth Pitt, produced a half-hour promotional film called ''[[Love You Till Tuesday (film)|Love You Till Tuesday]]'' featuring Bowie performing a number of songs, but it went unreleased until 1984.
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== Musical career ==
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=== 1947 to 1967: Early years ===
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David Robert Jones was born in [[Brixton]], [[London]], to a father from [[Tadcaster]] in [[Yorkshire]] and a mother from an [[Irish people|Irish]] family; his parents were married shortly after his birth. When he was six years old, his family moved from Brixton to [[Bromley]] in [[Kent]], where he attended the Bromley Technical High School.
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[[Image:Little Richard in 2007.jpg|thumb|left|[[Little Richard]] was an early major influence on Bowie.]]
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Bowie's interest in music was sparked at the age of nine when his father brought home a collection of American [[Gramophone record|45s]], including [[Fats Domino]], [[Chuck Berry]], and [[Little Richard]]. Upon listening to "[[Tutti Frutti (song)|Tutti Frutti]]," Bowie would later say, "I had heard God." (Doggett, 2007, 8-9.) His half-brother Terry introduced him to [[Jazz|modern jazz]]. He formed his first band in 1962, the Konrads and then played with various blues/beat groups, such as the King Bees, the [[Manish Boys]], the Lower Third, and the [[Riot Squad]], releasing his first single, "[[Liza Jane]]," with the King Bees in 1964. His early work shifted through the [[blues]] and [[Elvis Presley|Elvis]]-inspired rock while also working with many British [[Pop music|pop]] styles.
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Having changed his name from David Jones to avoid being confused with the lead singer of the [[Monkees]], Bowie released his first album in 1967 for the [[Decca Records]] offshoot [[Deram Records|Deram]]. Simply called ''[[David Bowie (album)|David Bowie]]'', it was an amalgam of [[Pop music|pop]], [[psychedelic rock|psychedelia]], and theatrical music. Influenced by the dramatic arts, he studied [[avant-garde]] [[theatre]], [[mime artist|mime]], and [[Commedia del Arte|Commedia dell'arte]] with British choreographer [[Lindsay Kemp]], and much of his work would involve the conscious creation of [[persona]]e to present to the world. During 1967, Bowie sold his first song to another artist, "Oscar" (an early stage name of actor-musician [[Paul Nicholas]]).  
  
 
=== 1969 to 1973: Psychedelic folk to glam rock ===  
 
=== 1969 to 1973: Psychedelic folk to glam rock ===  
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Bowie's first flirtation with fame came in 1969 with his single "[[Space Oddity]]," written the previous year but recorded and released to coincide with the first [[moon landing]].<ref>Pegg (2004): pp.197-201</ref> It became a Top 5 [[United Kingdom|UK]] hit. The corresponding album, his second, was originally titled ''David Bowie'', which caused some confusion as both of Bowie's first and second albums were released with that name in the UK (in the U.S. the second album bore the title ''Man of Words, Man of Music''). In 1972, this album was re-released by [[RCA Records]] as ''[[Space Oddity (album)|Space Oddity]]''.
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Bowie's first brush with fame came in 1969 with his single "[[Space Oddity]]," written the previous year but recorded and released to coincide with the first [[moon landing]]. It became a Top 5 [[United Kingdom|UK]] hit. The corresponding album, his second, was originally titled ''David Bowie,'' like his first, but was re-released by [[RCA Records]] as ''[[Space Oddity (album)|Space Oddity]]'' in 1972.
  
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In 1970 Bowie released his third album, ''[[The Man Who Sold the World (album)|The Man Who Sold the World]]'', rejecting the [[Steel-string guitar|acoustic guitar]] sound of the previous album and replacing it with the heavy [[Rock and roll|rock]] backing provided by [[Mick Ronson]], who would be a major collaborator through to 1973. Much of the album resembles British [[heavy metal music]] of the period, but the album provided some unusual musical detours, such as the [[The Man Who Sold the World (song)|title track]]'s use of [[Latin (music)|Latin]] sounds and rhythms. The original UK cover of the album showed Bowie in a dress, an early example of his [[androgyny|androgynous]] appearance. In the U.S. the album was originally released in a cartoonish cover that did not feature Bowie.
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In 1970 Bowie released his third album, ''[[The Man Who Sold the World (album)|The Man Who Sold the World]],'' rejecting the [[acoustic guitar]] sound of the previous album and replacing it with the heavy [[Rock and roll|rock]] backing provided by [[Mick Ronson]], who would be a major collaborator through to 1973. Much of the album resembles British [[heavy metal music]] of the period, but the album provided some unusual musical detours, such as the [[The Man Who Sold the World (song)|title track]]'s use of [[Latin (music)|Latin]] sounds and [[rhythm]]s. The original UK cover of the album showed Bowie in a dress, an early example of his [[androgyny|androgynous]] appearance.  
  
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His next record, ''[[Hunky Dory]]'' in 1971, saw the partial return of the fey pop singer of "Space Oddity," with light fare such as the droll "[[Kooks (song)|Kooks]]." Elsewhere, the album explored more serious themes on tracks such as "[[Oh! You Pretty Things]]" (a song taken to UK #12 by [[Herman's Hermits]]' [[Peter Noone]] in 1971), the semi-autobiographical "[[The Bewlay Brothers]]," and the [[Buddhism|Buddhist]]-influenced "[[Quicksand (David Bowie song)|Quicksand]]." Lyrically, the young songwriter also paid unusually direct homage to his influences with "[[Song for Bob Dylan]]," "[[Andy Warhol (David Bowie song)|Andy Warhol]]," and "[[Queen Bitch]]," which Bowie's somewhat cryptic liner notes indicate as a [[Velvet Underground]] pastiche. As with the single "[[Changes (David Bowie song)|Changes]]," ''Hunky Dory'' was not a big hit but it laid the groundwork for the move that would shortly lift Bowie into the first rank of stars, giving him four top-ten albums and eight top ten singles in the UK in eighteen months between 1972 and 1973.
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His next record, ''[[Hunky Dory]]'' (1971), featured such light fare such as the droll "[[Kooks (song)|Kooks]]," but also explored more serious themes such as "[[Oh! You Pretty Things]]," the semi-autobiographical "[[The Bewlay Brothers]]," and the [[Buddhism|Buddhist]]-influenced "[[Quicksand (David Bowie song)|Quicksand]]." ''Hunky Dory'' was not a big hit at first, but it laid the groundwork for the move that would shortly lift Bowie into the first rank of stars, giving him four top-ten albums and eight top ten singles in the UK in 18 months between 1972 and 1973.
  
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Bowie's androgynous persona was further explored in June 1972 with the seminal [[concept album]] ''[[The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars]]'', which presents a world destined to end in five years and tells the story of the ultimate rock star, Ziggy Stardust. The album's sound combined the [[hard rock]] elements of ''The Man Who Sold the World'' with the lighter experimental rock of ''Hunky Dory'' and the fast-paced [[glam rock]] pioneered by [[Marc Bolan]]'s [[T.Rex (band)|T.Rex]]. Many of the album's songs have become rock classics, including "[[Ziggy Stardust (song)|Ziggy Stardust]]," "[[Moonage Daydream]]," "[[Hang on to Yourself]]," and "[[Suffragette City]]."
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Bowie's androgynous persona was further explored in June 1972 with the seminal [[concept album]] ''[[The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars]],'' which presents a world destined to end in five years and tells the story of the ultimate rock star. The Ziggy Stardust character became the basis for Bowie's first large-scale tour beginning in 1972, where he donned his famous flaming red hair and wild outfits. The tour's success made Bowie a star, and soon the six-month-old ''Hunky Dory'' was eclipsed by ''Ziggy Stardust,'' when it peaked at number three on the UK chart.  
  
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The Ziggy Stardust character became the basis for Bowie's first large-scale tour beginning in 1972, where he donned his famous flaming red hair and wild outfits. The tour's success made Bowie a star, and soon the six-month-old ''Hunky Dory'' eclipsed ''Ziggy Stardust'', when it peaked at #3 on the UK chart. At the same time the non-album single "[[John, I’m Only Dancing]]" (not released in the U.S. until 1979) peaked at UK #12, and "[[All the Young Dudes (song)|All the Young Dudes]]," a song he had given to, and produced for, [[Mott the Hoople]], made UK #3.
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His ''Aladdin Sane'' album topped the UK chart in 1973, his first number one album. Described by Bowie as "Ziggy goes to America," it contained songs he wrote while traveling to and across the US during the earlier part of the Ziggy tour, which then continued to Japan to promote the new album. ''Aladdin Sane'' spawned the UK top five singles "The Jean Genie" and "Drive-In Saturday".
  
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Around the same time Bowie began promoting and producing his rock and roll heroes. Former Velvet Underground singer [[Lou Reed]]'s solo breakthrough ''[[Transformer (album)|Transformer]]'' was produced by Bowie and Ronson. [[Iggy Pop]] and his band [[The Stooges]] signed with Bowie's management, MainMan Productions, and recorded their third album, ''[[Raw Power]]'', in London.
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Around the same time Bowie began promoting and producing his rock and roll heroes including former [[Velvet Underground]] singer [[Lou Reed]]'s solo breakout album ''[[Transformer (album)|Transformer]], [[Mott the Hoople]]'s fifth album and title track, [[All the Young Dudes (album)|All the Young Dudes]], and [[Iggy Pop]]'s band [[The Stooges]]' third album ''Raw Power''.'' Iggy Pop later reciprocated by writing the song [[China Doll]] in consideration for Bowie's assistance. It can be argued that Bowie's attention and support either launched, in the case of Reed and John Mellancamp, or saved, in the case of Mott the Hoople's and Iggy Pop's, performance careers. It has been noted by some that Bowie used his influence with Tony DeFries at [[Mainman Studios]] and the studio became a magnet for aspiring performance artists such as John Mellancamp, known then as Johnny Cougar.
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''[[Pin Ups]]'', a collection of covers of his 1960s favourites, was released in October 1973, spawning a UK #3 hit in "[[Sorrow (song)|Sorrow]]" and itself peaking at #1, making David Bowie the best-selling act of 1973 in the UK.<ref>[http://www.biobble.com/en/2006-568/David_Bowie_biography.html Biography of David Bowie]</ref> By this time, Bowie had broken up the Spiders from Mars and was attempting to move on from his Ziggy persona. Bowie's own back catalogue was now highly sought: ''The Man Who Sold the World'' had been re-released in 1972 along with the second ''David Bowie'' album ''(Space Oddity)''. ''Hunky Dory'''s "[[Life on Mars (song)|Life on Mars?]]" was released as a single in 1973 and made #3 in the UK, the same year Bowie's novelty record from 1967, "[[The Laughing Gnome]]," hit #6.
 
  
 
=== 1974 to 1976: Soul, R&B, and The Thin White Duke ===  
 
=== 1974 to 1976: Soul, R&B, and The Thin White Duke ===  
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1974 saw the release of another ambitious album, ''[[Diamond Dogs]]'', with a [[spoken word]] introduction and a multi-part song [[suite]] ("[[Sweet Thing (David Bowie song)|Sweet Thing]]/[[Candidate (David Bowie song)|Candidate]]/Sweet Thing (reprise)"). ''Diamond Dogs'' was the product of two distinct ideas: a musical based on a wild future in a post-[[apocalypse|apocalyptic]] city, and setting [[George Orwell]]'s ''[[Nineteen Eighty-Four|1984]]'' to music. Bowie also made plans to develop a ''Diamond Dogs'' movie, but didn't get very far. Bowie had originally planned on writing a musical to ''1984'', but his interest waned after encountering difficulties in licensing the novel. He used some of the songs he had written for the project on ''Diamond Dogs''. The album—and an [[NBC]] television special, ''The 1980 Floor Show'', broadcast at around the same time—demonstrated Bowie headed toward the genre of [[soul (music)|soul]]/[[funk]] music, the track "[[1984 (song)|1984]]" being a prime example. The album spawned the hits "[[Rebel Rebel]]" (UK #5) and "[[Diamond Dogs (song)|Diamond Dogs]]" (UK #21), and itself went to #1 in the UK, making him the best-selling act of that country for the second year in a row. In the US, Bowie achieved his first major commercial success as the album went to #5.
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The year 1974 saw the release of another ambitious album, ''[[Diamond Dogs]],'' with a [[spoken word]] introduction and a multi-part song [[suite]] ("[[Sweet Thing (David Bowie song)|Sweet Thing]]/[[Candidate (David Bowie song)|Candidate]]/Sweet Thing (reprise)"). ''Diamond Dogs'' was the product of two distinct ideas: a musical based on a wild future in a post-[[apocalypse|apocalyptic]] city, and setting [[George Orwell]]'s ''[[Nineteen Eighty-Four|1984]]'' to music. Bowie also made plans to develop a ''Diamond Dogs'' movie, but the project did not materialize.
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To follow on the release of the album, Bowie launched a massive ''Diamond Dogs'' tour in North America from June to December 1974. Choreographed by [[Toni Basil]], and lavishly produced with theatrical [[special effects]], the high-budget stage production broke with contemporary standard practice for rock concerts by featuring no encores. It was filmed by [[Alan Yentob]] for the documentary ''[[Cracked Actor]]''. The documentary seemed to confirm the rumours of his cocaine abuse, featuring a pasty and emaciated Bowie nervously sniffing in the backseat of a car and claiming that there was a fly in his milk. Bowie commented that the resulting live album, ''[[David Live]]'', ought to have been called "David Bowie Is Alive and Well and Living Only In Theory," presumably in reference to his addled and frenetic psychological state during this period. Nevertheless the album solidified his status as a superstar, going #2 in the UK and #8 in the US. It also spawned a UK #10 hit in a cover of "[[Knock on Wood (song)|Knock on Wood]]." After the opening leg of the tour, Bowie mostly jettisoned the elaborate sets. Then, when the tour resumed after a summer break in [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]] for recording new material, the ''Diamond Dogs'' sound no longer seemed apt. Bowie cancelled seven dates and made changes to the band, which returned to the road in October as the ''Philly Dogs'' tour.
 
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For Ziggy Stardust fans who had not discerned the soul and funk strains already apparent in Bowie's recent work, the "new" sound was considered a sudden and jolting step. 1975's ''[[Young Americans (album)|Young Americans]]'' was Bowie's definitive exploration of [[Philly soul]]—though he himself referred to the sound ironically as "plastic soul." It contained his first #1 hit in the US, "[[Fame (David Bowie song)|Fame]]," co-written with [[Carlos Alomar]] and [[John Lennon]] (who also contributed backing vocals). It was based on a riff Alomar had developed while covering The Flares' 1961 [[doo-wop]] classic "Footstompin'," which Bowie's band had taken to playing live during the ''Philly Dogs'' period. One of the backing vocalists on the album is a young [[Luther Vandross]], who also co-wrote some of the material for ''Young Americans''. The song ''Win'' featured a hypnotic guitar riff later taken by [[Beck]] for the track/live staple "Debra" off his ''Midnite Vultures'' album. Despite Bowie's unashamed recognition of the shallowness of his "plastic soul," he did earn the bona fide distinction of being one of the few white artists to be invited to appear on the popular "[[Soul Train]]." Another violently paranoid appearance on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC's]] ''[[The Dick Cavett Show]]'' (1974 December 5) seemed to confirm rumours of Bowie's heavy [[cocaine]] use at this time. <ref>DVD, Dick Cavett Show: Rock Icons, disc 1</ref> ''Young Americans'' was the album that cemented Bowie's stardom in the U.S.; though only peaking there at #9, as opposed to the #5 placing of ''Diamond Dogs'', the album stayed on the charts almost twice as long. At the same time, the album achieved #2 in the UK while a re-issue of his old single "Space Oddity" became his first #1 hit in the UK, only a few months after "Fame" had achieved the same in the US.
 
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''[[Station to Station]]'' (1976) featured a darker version of this soul persona, called "The Thin White Duke." Visually the figure was an extension of Thomas Jerome Newton, the character Bowie portrayed in ''[[The Man Who Fell to Earth (film)|The Man Who Fell to Earth]]''. ''Station to Station'' was a transitional album, prefiguring the [[Krautrock]] and synthesizer music of his next releases, while further developing the funk and soul music of ''Young Americans''. By this time Bowie had become heavily dependent on drugs, particularly cocaine; many critics have attributed the chopped rhythms and emotional detachment of the record to the influence of the drug, to which Bowie claimed to have been introduced in America. His emotional disturbance and megalomania at this time reached such a fever pitch{{Fact|date=December 2007}} that Bowie refused to relinquish control of a satellite, booked for a world-wide broadcast of a live appearance preceding the release of ''Station to Station'', at the request of the Spanish Government, who wished to put out a live feed regarding the death of Spanish Dictator [[Francisco Franco]]. His sanity—by his own later admission—became twisted from cocaine: he overdosed several times during the year. Additionally, Bowie was withering physically after having lost an alarming amount of weight.
 
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Nonetheless, there was another large tour, ''The 1976 World Tour'', which featured a starkly lit set and highlighted new songs such as the dramatic and lengthy [[Station to Station (song)|title track]], the ballads "[[Wild Is the Wind]]" and "[[Word on a Wing]]," and the funkier "[[TVC 15]]" and "[[Stay (David Bowie song)|Stay]]." The core band that coalesced around this album and tour—rhythm guitarist Alomar, bassist [[George Murray (musician)|George Murray]], and drummer [[Dennis Davis]]—would remain a stable unit through the 1970s. The tour was highly successful but also entrenched in controversy, as the media claimed that Bowie was advocating [[fascism]]. The accusation was false and had resulted from a misinterpretation of Bowie's essentially anti-Fascist message.<ref>[http://bowiezone.net/69301/69322.html]</ref>
 
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=== 1976 to 1980: The Berlin era ===
 
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Bowie's interest in the growing German music scene, as well as his drug addiction, prompted him to move to West [[Berlin]] to dry out and rejuvenate his career. Sharing an apartment in [[Schöneberg]] with his friend [[Iggy Pop]], he co-produced three more of his own classic albums with Tony Visconti, while aiding Pop with his career. With Bowie as a co-writer and musician, Pop completed his first two solo albums, ''[[The Idiot (album)|The Idiot]]'' and ''[[Lust for Life (album)|Lust for Life]]''.
 
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Bowie joined Pop's touring band in the spring, simply playing keyboard and singing backing vocals. The group performed in the UK, Europe, and the US from March to April 1977.<ref>[[Kris Needs]] (2007). "The Passenger," ''MOJO 60 Years of Bowie'': p.65</ref>
 
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The brittle sound of ''Station to Station'' proved a precursor to ''[[Low (album)|Low]]'', the first of three albums that became known as the "[[Berlin Trilogy]]." ''Low'' was recorded with [[Brian Eno]] as an integral collaborator but, despite widespread belief, not the album's producer. Journalists often mistakenly give Eno production credits on the trilogy but, in fact, Bowie and [[Tony Visconti]] co-produced, with Eno co-writing some of the music, playing keyboards, and developing strategies. Bowie stressed in 2000: "Over the years not enough credit has gone to Tony Visconti on those particular albums. The actual sound and texture, the feel of everything from the drums to the way that my voice is recorded is Tony Visconti."{{Fact|date=December 2007}}
 
  
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Visconti said at the time, "Bowie wanted to make an album of music that was uncompromising and reflected the way he felt. He said he did not care whether or not he had another hit record, and that the recording would be so out of the ordinary that it might never get released".{{Fact|date=December 2007}}
+
Bowie's 1975 ''[[Young Americans (album)|Young Americans]]'' was his definitive exploration of [[Philly soul]]—though he himself referred to the sound ironically as "plastic soul." It contained his first number-one hit in the US, "[[Fame (David Bowie song)|Fame]]," co-written with [[Carlos Alomar]] and [[John Lennon]], who also contributed backing vocals. Ziggy Stardust fans who had not discerned the soul and funk strains already apparent in Bowie's work found this "new" sound was considered a sudden and jolting step, but ''Young Americans'' was the album that cemented Bowie's stardom in the U.S.
  
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Partly influenced by the [[Krautrock]] sound of [[Kraftwerk]] and [[Neu!]] and the minimalist work of [[Steve Reich]], Bowie journeyed to [[Neunkirchen-Seelscheid|Neunkirchen]] near [[Cologne]] to meet the famed German producer [[Conny Plank]]. Plank was considered a revolutionary producer in German rock in the era, but had no interest in working with Bowie and refused him entry to the studio.{{Fact|date=December 2007}} Bowie and his team persevered, however, and recorded new songs that were relatively simple, repetitive and stripped-down, a perverse reaction to [[punk rock]], with the second side almost wholly instrumental. (By way of tribute, proto-punk [[Nick Lowe]] recorded an EP entitled "Bowi".) The album provided him with a surprise #3 hit in the UK when the BBC picked up the first single, "[[Sound and Vision]]," as its 'coming attractions' theme music. ''Low'' is renowned for being far ahead of its time, and Bowie himself has said "cut me and I bleed Low".{{Fact|date=December 2007}} The album was produced in 1976 and released in early 1977.
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''[[Station to Station]]'' (1976) featured a darker version of this soul persona, called "The Thin White Duke." Visually, the figure was an extension of the character Bowie portrayed in the film ''[[The Man Who Fell to Earth (film)|The Man Who Fell to Earth]],'' Thomas Jerome Newton. ''Station to Station'' was a transitional album, prefiguring the [[Krautrock]] and synthesizer music of his next releases, while further developing the funk and soul music of ''Young Americans.''  
  
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The ''Low'' sessions also formalised Bowie's three-phase approach to making albums that he still favours today. Much of the band were present for the first five days only, after which Eno, Alomar and Gardiner remained to play overdubs. By the time Bowie wrote and recorded the lyrics everybody but Visconti and studio engineers had departed.
+
''The 1976 World Tour'' featured a starkly lit set and highlighted new songs such as the dramatic and lengthy [[Station to Station (song)|title track]], the ballads "[[Wild Is the Wind]]" and "[[Word on a Wing]]," and the funkier "[[TVC 15]]" and "[[Stay (David Bowie song)|Stay]]." The tour, though highly successful, was also entrenched in controversy, as some in the media claimed that Bowie was advocating [[fascism]], a charge Bowie said resulted from a complete misinterpretation of his essentially anti-fascist message.
  
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The next record, ''[["Heroes"]]'', was similar in sound to ''Low'', though slightly more accessible. The mood of these records fit the [[zeitgeist]] of the [[Cold War]], symbolised by the divided city that provided its inspiration. The [["Heroes" (song)|title track]], a story of two lovers who met at the [[Berlin Wall]], is one of Bowie's most-covered songs.<ref>Pegg (2000): pp.90-92</ref>
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=== 1976 to 1980: The Berlin era ===
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[[Image:David bowie 05061978 01 150.jpg|thumb|left|Bowie in 1978]]
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[[Image:Iggy Pop - pinkpop87.jpg|thumb|140px|Iggy Pop]]
 +
Bowie's interest in the growing German music scene, as well as his drug [[addiction]], prompted him to move to West [[Berlin]] to dry out and rejuvenate his career. Sharing an apartment in [[Schöneberg]] with his friend [[Iggy Pop]], he co-produced three more of his own classic albums with Tony Visconti, while aiding Pop with his career. With Bowie as a co-writer and musician, Pop completed his first two solo albums, ''[[The Idiot (album)|The Idiot]]'' and ''[[Lust for Life (album)|Lust for Life]].'' Bowie joined Pop's touring band in the spring, playing keyboard and singing backing vocals. The group performed in the UK, Europe, and the US from March to April 1977.
  
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Also in 1977, Bowie appeared on the Granada music show ''Marc'', hosted by his friend and fellow glam pioneer [[Marc Bolan]] of [[T.Rex (band)|T.Rex]], with whom he had regularly socialised and jammed before either achieved fame. He turned out to be the show's final guest, as Bolan was killed in a car crash shortly afterward.<ref>[http://members.ol.com.au/rgriffin/GoldenYears/770909Marc.html Bowie Golden Years: Marc]</ref> Bowie was one of many superstars who attended the funeral.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/6988837.stm |title=In pictures: Marc Bolan|accessdate=2007-11-09 |date=2007-09-13}}</ref>
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''[[Low (album)|Low]]'', the first of three albums that became known as the "[[Berlin Trilogy]]," was recorded with [[Brian Eno]] as an integral collaborator. Partly influenced by the "[[Krautrock]]" sound and the minimalist work of [[Steve Reich]], Bowie journeyed to [[Neunkirchen-Seelscheid|Neunkirchen]] near [[Cologne]] and recorded new songs that were relatively simple and repetitive, with the second side almost wholly instrumental. The album provided him with a surprise number three hit in the UK aided by the BBC's using the single, "[[Sound and Vision]]," as its 'coming attractions' theme music.  
  
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For [[Christmas]] 1977, Bowie joined [[Bing Crosby]], of whom he was an ardent admirer, in a recording studio to do "[[Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy]]," a version of "[[Little Drummer Boy]]" with a new lyric.<ref>DVD, Bing Crosby, ''A Bing Crosby Christmas'', Questar qd3175, ISBN 1-56855-683-7</ref> The two singers had originally met on Crosby's Christmas television special two years earlier (on the recommendation of Crosby's children—he had not heard of Bowie) and performed the song. One month after the record was completed, Crosby died.<ref>{{cite news |last=Farhi| first=Paul| title =Bing and Bowie: An Odd Story of Holiday Harmony | publisher =''Washington Post'' | date= 2006-12-20 | url =http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/19/AR2006121901260.html | accessdate =2007-11-09}}</ref> Five years later, the song would prove a worldwide festive hit, charting in the UK at #3 on Christmas Day 1982.<ref>{{cite book |last=Bronson |first=Fred |title=The Billboard Book of Number 1 Hits |year=1990 |publisher=Billboard Books |isbn=0-823-07677-6 |page=572}}</ref>Bowie later remarked jokingly that he was afraid of being a guest artist, because "everyone I was going on with was kicking it," referring to Bolan and Crosby.<ref>Dave Thompson (2007). "Bowie and Bing," ''MOJO 60 Years of Bowie'': p.64</ref>
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His next record, ''[[Heroes]],'' was similar in sound to ''Low,'' though slightly more accessible. The mood of these records fit the ''[[zeitgeist]]'' of the [[Cold War]], symbolized by the divided city that provided its inspiration.
  
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Bowie and his band embarked on an extensive world tour in 1978 (including his first concerts in Australia and New Zealand) which featured music from both ''Low'' and ''Heroes''. A live album from the tour was released as ''[[Stage (album)|Stage]]'' the same year. Songs from both ''Low'' and ''Heroes'' were later converted to symphonies by minimalist composer [[Phillip Glass]]. 1978 was also the year that saw Bowie narrating [[Sergei Prokofiev]]'s ''[[Peter and the Wolf]]''.
+
Bowie and his band embarked on an extensive world tour in 1978 that featured music from both ''Low'' and ''Heroes.'' A live album from the tour was released as ''[[Stage (album)|Stage]]'' the same year. Songs from both ''Low'' and ''Heroes'' were later converted to symphonies by minimalist composer [[Phillip Glass]].
  
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1979's ''[[Lodger (album)|Lodger]]'' was the final album in Bowie's so-called "[[Berlin Trilogy]]," or "triptych" as Bowie calls it.<ref>Buckley (2000): p.27</ref> It featured the singles "[[Boys Keep Swinging]]," "[[DJ (song)|DJ]]" and "[[Look Back in Anger (song)|Look Back in Anger]]" and, unlike the two previous [[LP album|LPs]], did not contain any instrumentals. The style was a mix of [[New Wave (music)|New Wave]] and [[world music]], including pieces such as "[[African Night Flight]]" and "[[Yassassin]]." A number of tracks were composed using the non-traditional Bowie/Eno composition techniques: "Boys Keep Swinging" was developed with the band members swapping their instruments while "Move On" contains the chords for an early Bowie composition, "All The Young Dudes," played backwards.<ref>Carr & Murray (1981): p.102-107</ref> This was Bowie's last album with Eno until ''[[Outside (album)|Outside]]'' in 1995.
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''[[Lodger (album)|Lodger]]'' (1979) was the final album in Bowie's so-called "[[Berlin Trilogy]]." The style was a mix of [[New Wave (music)|New Wave]] and [[world music]], including pieces such as "[[African Night Flight]]" and "[[Yassassin]]."
  
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In 1980, Bowie did an about-face, integrating the lessons learnt on ''Low'', ''Heroes'', and ''Lodger'' while expanding upon them with chart success.<ref name="Carr & Murray pp.108-114">Carr & Murray (1981): pp.108-114</ref> ''[[Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)]]'' included the #1 hit "[[Ashes to Ashes (song)|Ashes to Ashes]]," featuring the textural work of guitar-synthesist [[Chuck Hammer]], and revisiting the character of Major Tom from "Space Oddity." The imagery Bowie used in the song's [[music video]] gave international exposure to the underground [[New Romantic]] movement and, with many of the followers of this phase being devotees, Bowie visited the London club "Blitz"—the main New Romantic hangout—to recruit several of the regulars (including [[Steve Strange]] of the band [[Visage]]) to act in the video, renowned as being one of the most innovative of all time.<ref>Pegg (2000): p.29</ref>
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In 1980, ''[[Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)]]'' represented a major departure from the Berlin era, and revisiting the character of Major Tom from "Space Oddity." It included the number one hit "[[Ashes to Ashes (song)|Ashes to Ashes]]," featuring the textural work of guitar-synthesist [[Chuck Hammer]].
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While ''Scary Monsters'' utilised principles that Bowie had learned in the Berlin era, it was considered by critics to be far more direct musically and lyrically, reflecting the transformation Bowie had gone through during his time in Germany and Europe. By 1980 Bowie had divorced his wife Angie, curbed the drug abuse of the "Thin White Duke" era, and radically changed his conception of how music should be written. The album had a hard rock edge that included conspicuous guitar contributions from [[King Crimson|King Crimson's]] [[Robert Fripp]], [[The Who|The Who's]] [[Pete Townshend]], and [[Television (band)|Television's]] [[Tom Verlaine]].<ref name="Carr & Murray pp.108-114"/> As "Ashes to Ashes" hit #1 on the UK charts, Bowie opened a three-month run on Broadway starring as [[The Elephant Man]] on 1980 September 23.<ref name=Rees1991>''Rock Movers & Shakers'', Dafydd Rees & Luke Crampton, Billboard Books, 1991</ref>
 
  
 
=== 1980 to 1989: Bowie the superstar ===  
 
=== 1980 to 1989: Bowie the superstar ===  
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In 1981, [[Queen (band)|Queen]] released "[[Under Pressure]]," co-written and performed with Bowie. The song was a hit and became Bowie's third UK #1 single. In the same year Bowie made a cameo appearance in the German movie ''[[Christiane F. - Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo (film)|Christiane F. Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo]]'', the real-life story of a 13 year-old girl in Berlin who becomes addicted to [[heroin]] and ends up prostituting herself. Bowie is credited with "special cooperation" in the credits and his music features prominently in the movie. The soundtrack was released in 1982 and contained a version of "[[Heroes (song)|Heroes]]" sung partially in German that had previously been included on the German pressing of its parent album. The same year Bowie appeared in the BBC's adaptation of [[Bertolt Brecht]]'s play [[Baal (play)|''Baal'']]. Coinciding with transmission of the film, a five-track [[Extended play|EP]] of songs from the play was released as [[Baal (EP)|''David Bowie in Bertolt Brecht's Baal'']], recorded at Hansa by the Wall the previous September. It would mark Bowie’s final new release on RCA, as 1983 saw him change record labels from RCA to [[EMI America]].
+
In 1981, [[Queen (band)|Queen]] released "[[Under Pressure]]," co-written and performed with Bowie. The song was a hit and became Bowie's third UK number one single.
−
 
 
−
Bowie scored his first truly commercial blockbuster with ''[[Let's Dance (David Bowie album)|Let's Dance]]'' in 1983, a slick dance album co-produced by [[Chic (band)|Chic's]] [[Nile Rodgers]]. The [[Let's Dance (David Bowie song)|title track]] went to #1 in the United States and United Kingdom and many now consider it a [[Pop standards|standard]].
 
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The album also featured the singles "[[Modern Love (song)|Modern Love]]" and "[[China Girl]]," the latter causing something of a stir due to its suggestive promotional video. "China Girl" was a remake of a song which Bowie co-wrote several years earlier with [[Iggy Pop]], who recorded it for ''The Idiot''. In an interview by [[Kurt Loder]], Bowie revealed that the motivation for recording "China Girl" was to help out his friend Iggy Pop financially, contributing to Bowie's history of support for musicians he admired. ''Let's Dance'' was also notable as a stepping stone for the career of the late [[Texas|Texan]] guitarist [[Stevie Ray Vaughan]], who played on the album and was to have supported Bowie on the consequent ''Serious Moonlight Tour''. Vaughan, however, never joined the tour after various disputes with Bowie. Vaughan was replaced by the Bowie tour veteran [[Earl Slick]]. Frank and George Simms from [[The Simms Brothers Band]] appeared as backing vocalists for the tour. The Serious Moonlight Tour was a huge success, and a single performance at the US Festival actually earned Bowie a million dollars on its own.{{Fact|date=September 2007}}
 
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Bowie's next album was originally planned to be a live album recorded on the Serious Moonlight Tour, but EMI demanded another studio album instead. The resulting album, 1984's ''[[Tonight (album)|Tonight]]'', was also dance-oriented, featuring collaborations with [[Tina Turner]] (and Iggy Pop), as well as various covers, including one of [[The Beach Boys]]' "[[God Only Knows]]." Critics labeled it a lazy effort, dashed off by Bowie simply to recapture ''Let's Dance'''s chart success, partially due to the fact most of the tracks were either covers or rerecordings of earlier material. Yet the album bore the transatlantic Top Ten hit "[[Blue Jean (song)|Blue Jean]]" whose complete video - the 21-minute short film "[[Jazzin' for Blue Jean]]" - reflected Bowie's long-standing interest in combining music with [[drama]]. This video would win Bowie his only [[Grammy]] to date, for [[Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video|Best Short Form Music Video]]. It also featured "[[Loving the Alien]]," a remix of which was a minor hit in 1985. The album also has a pair of dance rewrites of "[[Neighborhood Threat]]" and "[[Tonight (song)|Tonight]]," old songs Bowie wrote with Iggy Pop which had originally appeared on ''[[Lust for Life (album)|Lust for Life]]''.
 
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In 1985, Bowie performed several of his greatest hits at [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley]] for [[Live Aid]]. At the end of his set, which comprised "Rebel Rebel," "TVC 15," "Modern Love" and 'Heroes', he introduced a film of the [[Ethiopia]]n [[famine]], for which the event was raising funds, which was set to the song "Drive" by the [[the Cars|Cars]]. At the event, the video to a [[fundraising]] single was premièred – Bowie performing a duet with [[Mick Jagger]] on a version of "[[Dancing in the Street (cover)|Dancing in the Street]]," which quickly went to #1 on release. In the same year Bowie worked with the [[Pat Metheny Group]] on the song "[[This Is Not America]]," which was featured in the film ''[[The Falcon and the Snowman]]''. This song was the centrepiece of the album, a collaboration intended to underline the espionage thriller's central themes of alienation and disaffection.
 
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[[Image:BowieRaR87.jpg|thumb|right|Bowie performing in 1987]]
 
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In 1986, Bowie contributed several songs to as well as acted in the film ''[[Absolute Beginners (movie)|Absolute Beginners]]''. The movie was not well reviewed but Bowie's theme song rose to #2 in the UK charts. He also took a role in the 1986 [[Jim Henson]] [[film]] ''[[Labyrinth (film)|Labyrinth]]'', as Jareth, the Goblin King who steals the baby brother of a girl named Sarah (played by [[Jennifer Connelly]]), in order to turn him into a goblin. Bowie wrote five songs for the film, the script of which was partially written by [[Monty Python]]'s [[Terry Jones]].
 
  
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Bowie's final solo album of the 80s was [[1987 in music|1987's]] ''[[Never Let Me Down]]'', where he ditched the light sound of his two earlier albums, instead offering harder rock with an [[Industrial music|industrial]]/[[techno]] dance edge. The album, which peaked at #6 in the UK, contained hit singles "Day In, Day Out," "Time Will Crawl," and "Never Let Me Down." Although a commercial success, it drew some of the harshest criticism of Bowie's career, condemned by some critics as a "faceless" piece of product.{{Fact|date=October 2007}} Bowie himself later described it as "my [[nadir]]" and "an awful album".<ref>James McNair (2007). "Tumble & Twirl," ''[[Mojo (magazine)|MOJO]] 60 Years of Bowie'': p.101</ref>
+
Bowie scored a blockbuster hit with ''[[Let's Dance (David Bowie album)|Let's Dance]]'' in 1983, a slick dance album co-produced by [[Chic (band)|Chic's]] [[Nile Rodgers]]. The [[Let's Dance (David Bowie song)|title track]] went to number one in the United States and United Kingdom and many now consider it a [[Pop standards|standard]].
  
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Bowie decided to tour again in 1987, supporting the ''Never Let Me Down'' album. The ''[[Glass Spider Tour]]'' was preceded by nine promotional press shows before the 86-concert tour actually started on 30 May 1987. In addition to the actual band, that included [[Peter Frampton]] on lead guitar, five dancers appeared on stage for almost the entire duration of each concert. Taped pieces of dialogue were also performed by Bowie and the dancers in the middle of songs, creating an overtly theatrical effect. Several visual gimmicks were also recreated from Bowie's earlier tours. Critics of the tour described it as overproduced and claimed it pandered to then-current [[stadium rock]] trends in its special effects and dancing.<ref>Andy Fyfe (2007). "Too Dizzy," ''MOJO 60 Years of Bowie'': pp.88-91</ref> However, fans that saw the shows from the ''Glass Spider Tour'' were treated to many of Bowie's classics and rarities, in addition to the newer material.
+
Bowie's next album was originally planned to be a live album recorded on the Serious Moonlight Tour, but EMI demanded another studio album instead. The resulting ''[[Tonight (album)|Tonight]]'' (1984), was also dance-oriented, featuring collaborations with [[Tina Turner]] and Iggy Pop, as well as various covers, including one of [[The Beach Boys]]' "[[God Only Knows]]." Critics labeled it a lazy effort, but the album bore the transatlantic top-ten hit "[[Blue Jean (song)|Blue Jean]]." The associated video, the 21-minute short film "[[Jazzin' for Blue Jean]]," reflected Bowie's long-standing interest in combining music with [[drama]]. This video would win Bowie his only [[Grammy]] to date, for [[Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video|Best Short Form Music Video]].
  
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In August of 1988, Bowie portrayed [[Pontius Pilate]] in the [[Martin Scorsese]] film ''[[The Last Temptation of Christ (film)|The Last Temptation of Christ]]''.<ref name=Rees1991/>
+
In 1986, Bowie acted in and contributed several songs to the film ''[[Absolute Beginners (movie)|Absolute Beginners]].'' The movie was not well reviewed but Bowie's theme song rose to number two on the UK charts. He also took a role in the 1986 [[Jim Henson]] [[film]] ''[[Labyrinth (film)|Labyrinth]],'' as Jareth, the Goblin King who steals the baby brother of a girl named Sarah (played by [[Jennifer Connelly]]), in order to turn him into a goblin. Bowie wrote five songs for the film, the script was partially written by [[Monty Python]]'s [[Terry Jones]].
  
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=== 1989 to 1991: Tin Machine ===
+
Bowie's final solo album of the 80s was [[1987 in music|1987's]] ''[[Never Let Me Down]],'' offering a harder rock sound with an [[Industrial music|industrial]]/[[techno]] dance edge. The album, which peaked at number six in the UK, contained hit singles "Day In, Day Out," "Time Will Crawl," and "Never Let Me Down." In August of 1988, Bowie portrayed [[Pontius Pilate]] in the [[Martin Scorsese]] film ''[[The Last Temptation of Christ (film)|The Last Temptation of Christ]].''
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In 1989, for the first time since the early 1970s, Bowie formed a regular band, [[Tin Machine]], a hard-rocking quartet, along with [[Reeves Gabrels]], [[Tony Sales]], and [[Hunt Sales]]. Tin Machine released two studio albums and a live record. The band received mixed reviews and a somewhat lukewarm reception from the public, but Tin Machine heralded the beginning of a long-lasting collaboration between Bowie and Gabrels.
 
  
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The original album, ''[[Tin Machine (album)|Tin Machine]]'' (1989), was a success, holding the number three spot on the charts of the UK. Tin Machine launched its first world tour, featuring a now unshaven David Bowie and additional guitarist Eric Schermerhorn, that year. Despite the success of the Tin Machine venture, Bowie was mildly frustrated that many of his ideas were either rejected or changed by the band.
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=== 1989 to 1992: Tin Machine ===
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[[Image:David Bowie Chile.jpg|thumb|left|David Bowie performing at Rock In Chile Festival, September 27 1990]]
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[[Image:David Bowie Chile.jpg|thumb|Bowie in Chile in 1999]]
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Bowie began the 1990s with a stadium tour, in which he played mostly his biggest hits. ''The Sound + Vision Tour'' (named after the ''Low'' single) was conceived and directed by choreographer [[Edouard Lock]] of the [[Quebec]] [[contemporary dance]] troupe [[La La La Human Steps]], with whom Bowie collaborated and performed on stage and in his videos.
+
In 1989, for the first time since the early 1970s, Bowie formed a regular band, [[Tin Machine]], a hard-rocking quartet, along with [[Reeves Gabrels]], [[Tony Sales]], and [[Hunt Sales]]. Tin Machine released two studio albums and a live record. The band received mixed reviews and a somewhat lukewarm reception from the public, but Tin Machine heralded the beginning of a long-lasting collaboration between Bowie and Gabrels. The original album, ''[[Tin Machine (album)|Tin Machine]]'' (1989), was a success, holding the number three spot on the charts of the UK.  
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Though he surprised no one when he later reneged on that promise and also on the promise that his set in each country would be focused on the favourite hits voted by phone poll in that country - an idea quickly jettisoned when a campaign by the British magazine ''[[NME]]'' resulted in a landslide in favour of ''[[The Laughing Gnome]]'', it is true that his later tours generally featured few of those hits, and when they appeared, they were often radically reworked in their arrangement and delivery.
 
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Bowie's negative press-image continued when the cover of Tin Machine's second album became unusually controversial, due to the presence of naked statues as its cover art. The coverage only seemed to invite unrelated negative commentary about Bowie to further permeate the public discourse.
 
  
 
After the less successful second album ''[[Tin Machine II]]'' and the complete failure of live album ''[[Tin Machine Live: Oy Vey, Baby]]'', Bowie tired of having to work in a group setting where his creativity was limited, and finally disbanded Tin Machine to work on his own. But the Tin Machine venture did show that Bowie had learned some harsh lessons from the previous decade, and was determined to get serious about concentrating on music more than commercial success.
 
After the less successful second album ''[[Tin Machine II]]'' and the complete failure of live album ''[[Tin Machine Live: Oy Vey, Baby]]'', Bowie tired of having to work in a group setting where his creativity was limited, and finally disbanded Tin Machine to work on his own. But the Tin Machine venture did show that Bowie had learned some harsh lessons from the previous decade, and was determined to get serious about concentrating on music more than commercial success.
  
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=== 1992 to 1999: Electronica ===  
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=== 1993 to 1999: Electronica ===  
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In 1992 he performed his hits "Heroes" and "Under Pressure" (with [[Annie Lennox]]) at the [[Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert]]. 1993 saw the release of the soul, [[jazz]] and [[hip hop music|hip-hop]] influenced ''[[Black Tie White Noise]]'', which reunited Bowie with ''Let's Dance'' producer [[Nile Rodgers]]. The album hit the number one spot on the UK charts with singles such as "Jump They Say" (a top 10 hit) and "Miracle Goodnight."
+
In 1993 Bowie released  ''[[Black Tie White Noise]],'' which reunited him with ''Let's Dance'' producer [[Nile Rodgers]]. The album hit the number one spot on the UK charts with singles such as "Jump They Say" and "Miracle Goodnight."
  
−
Bowie explored new directions on ''[[The Buddha of Suburbia (soundtrack)|The Buddha of Suburbia]]'' (1993), based on incidental music composed for a TV series. It contained some of the new elements introduced in ''Black Tie White Noise'', and also signalled a move towards [[alternative rock]]. The album was critical success but received a low-key release and only made number 87 in the UK charts.<ref>Buckley (2000): pp.494-495,623</ref>
+
Bowie explored new directions on ''[[The Buddha of Suburbia (soundtrack)|The Buddha of Suburbia]]'' (1993), based on incidental music composed for a TV series. It contained some of the new elements introduced in ''Black Tie White Noise,'' and also signaled a move towards [[alternative rock]]. The album was a critical success but received a low-key release and only made number 87 in the UK charts.
  
−
The ambitious, quasi-[[industrial music|industrial]] release ''[[Outside (album)|Outside]]'' (1995), conceived as the first volume in a subsequently abandoned non-linear narrative of art and murder, reunited him with [[Brian Eno]]. The album introduced the characters of one of Bowie's short stories, and achieved chart success in both the UK and US.<ref>Buckley (2000): pp.623-624</ref> The album and its singles put Bowie back into the mainstream of rock music. In September 1995, Bowie began the ''Outside Tour'' with Gabrels returning as guitarist. In a move that was equally lauded and ridiculed by Bowie fans and critics, Bowie chose [[Nine Inch Nails]] as the tour partner;<ref>Buckley (2000): pp.512-513</ref> [[Trent Reznor]] also contributed a [[remix]] of the ''Outside'' song "[[The Hearts Filthy Lesson]]" for its single release. On January 17, 1996, Bowie was inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] at the eleventh annual induction ceremony.<ref>{{cite web | title=Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction| work=rockhall.com | url=http://www.rockhall.com/hof/inductee.asp?id=70 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction}}</ref>
+
The ambitious, quasi-[[industrial music|industrial]] release ''[[Outside (album)|Outside]]'' (1995), conceived as the first volume in a subsequently abandoned non-linear narrative of art and murder, reunited him with [[Brian Eno]]. The album introduced the characters of one of Bowie's short stories, and achieved chart success in both the UK and US.
  
−
Receiving some of the strongest critical response since ''Let's Dance'' was ''[[Earthling (album)|Earthling]]'' (1997),<ref name="Buckley p.533-534">Buckley (2000): p.533-534</ref> which incorporated experiments in British jungle and [[drum and bass|drum 'n' bass]] and included a single released over the [[Internet]], called "Telling Lies"; other singles included "[[Little Wonder]]" and "[[Dead Man Walking (song)|Dead Man Walking]]." There was a corresponding world tour, which was fairly successful. Bowie's track in the Paul Verhoeven film ''[[Showgirls]]'', "[[I'm Afraid of Americans]]" was remixed by Trent Reznor for a single release. The video's heavy rotation (also featuring Reznor) contributed to the song's 16-week stay in the US [[Billboard Hot 100]].<ref name="Buckley p.533-534"/>
+
Receiving some of the strongest critical response since ''Let's Dance'' was ''[[Earthling (album)|Earthling]]'' (1997), which included a single released over the [[Internet]], called "Telling Lies." Other singles included "[[Little Wonder]]" and "[[Dead Man Walking (song)|Dead Man Walking]]."
  
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=== 1999 to present: Neoclassicist Bowie ===  
+
=== 1999 to 2012: Neoclassicist Bowie ===  
−
In 1998, David Bowie had reunited with [[Tony Visconti]] to record a song for ''The [[Rugrats]] Movie'' called "(Safe in This) Sky Life." Although the track was edited out of the final cut, and did not feature on the film's [[soundtrack]] album, the reunion led to the pair pursuing a new collaborative effort. "(Safe In This) Sky Life" was later re-recorded and released as a single b-side in 2002 where it was retitled "Safe".<ref>''The Complete David Bowie'', Nicholas Pegg, 2006 Reynolds & Hearn Ltd</ref>
+
[[Image:The Different View.jpg|thumb|250px|Portrait of Bowie by Ines Zgonc]]
−
Amongst their earliest work together in this period, was a reworking of [[Placebo (band)|Placebo's]] track "[[Without You I'm Nothing (Placebo song)|Without You I'm Nothing]]," from the album of the same name - Visconti overseeing the additional production required when Bowie's harmonised vocal was added to the original version for a strictly limited edition single release.
+
In 1998, a reunion with [[Tony Visconti]] led to the pair pursuing a new collaborative effort. Their "(Safe In This) Sky Life" was later re-recorded and released in 2002 where it was retitled "Safe." In the same year, Bowie curated the annual ''[[Meltdown (festival)|Meltdown]]'' festival in London.
  
−
1999 found Bowie composing the soundtrack for a computer game called "[[Omikron: The Nomad Soul]]." Bowie and his wife, [[Iman (model)|Iman]], made appearances as characters in the game. That same year, re-recorded tracks from the game and new music was released in the album ''[['hours...' (album)|'hours...']]'' featured "What's Really Happening," the lyrics for which were written by Alex Grant, the winner of Bowie's "Cyber Song Contest" Internet competition. This album presented Bowie's exit from heavy electronica, with an emphasis on more live instruments, and, through songs like "[[Thursday's Child]]" and "[[Survive (David Bowie song)|Survive]]," a thematic move into Bowie's sense of his own aging and sentimentality. After this album, Bowie's guitarist, Reeves Gabrels, quit working with Bowie, feeling that the music was becoming "too soft".{{Fact|date=April 2008}}
+
In September 2003, Bowie released a new album, ''[[Reality (album)|Reality]],'' and announced a world tour. In October 2004, he released a live DVD of the tour, entitled ''[[A Reality Tour (film)|A Reality Tour]]'' of his performances in [[Dublin, Ireland]]. Despite hopes for a comeback, in 2005 Bowie announced that he had made no plans for any performances during the year.
  
−
Plans surfaced after the release of '' 'hours...' '' for an album titled ''[[Toy (David Bowie album)|Toy]]'', which would feature new versions of some of Bowie's earliest pieces as well as three new songs. Sessions for the album commenced in 2000, but the album was never released, leaving a number of tracks, some as yet unheard, on the editing floor.<ref>[http://www.illustrated-db-discography.nl/Toy.htm Illustrated db Discography]</ref> Bowie and Visconti continued collaboration with the production of a new album of completely original songs instead. The result of the sessions was the 2002 album ''[[Heathen (album)|Heathen]]'', which had a dark atmospheric sound, and was Bowie's biggest chart success in recent years.
+
In 2006, Bowie made a surprise guest appearance at [[David Gilmour]]'s May 29 concert at the [[Royal Albert Hall]] in [[London]]. His performance of  "[[Arnold Layne]]" was released as a single. In 2008, Bowie released a new compilation entitled iSELECT, notable in that it only contained one major hit single, "Life on Mars?," and concentrated on lesser-known album tracks.
−
2002 also saw Bowie curate the annual ''[[Meltdown (festival)|Meltdown]]'' festival in London. Amongst the acts selected by Bowie to perform were [[Phillip Glass]], ''[[Television (band)|Television]]'' and [[The Polyphonic Spree]]. Bowie himself played a show at the [[Royal Festival Hall]] which notably included a rare performance of his experimental opus ''[[Low (album)|Low]]'' in its entirety.
 
  
−
In 2003, a report in the ''[[Express (newspaper)|Sunday Express]]'' named Bowie as the second-richest entertainer in the UK (behind Sir [[Paul McCartney]]), with an estimated fortune of £510 million. However, the 2005 ''[[Sunday Times Rich List]]'' credited him with a little over £100 million.
+
===2013 to 2016: Final years===
 +
On January 8, 2013 (his 66th birthday), his website announced a new album, to be titled ''The Next Day'' and scheduled for release in March . Bowie's first studio album in a decade, ''The Next Day'' contains 14 songs plus 3 bonus tracks. Record producer Tony Visconti said 29 tracks were recorded for the album, some of which could appear on Bowie's next record, which he might start work on later in 2013. The announcement was accompanied by the immediate release of a single, "Where Are We Now?", written and recorded by Bowie in New York and produced by longtime collaborator Tony Visconti.
  
−
In September 2003, Bowie released a new album, ''[[Reality (album)|Reality]]'', and announced a world tour. '[[A Reality Tour]]' was the best-selling tour of the following year. However, it was cut short after Bowie suffered chest pain while performing on stage in the northwestern German town of [[Scheeßel]] on June 25 2004. Originally thought to be a pinched nerve in his shoulder, the pain was later diagnosed as an acutely blocked [[artery]]; an emergency [[angioplasty]] was performed at St. Georg Hospital in Hamburg by Dr Karl Heinz Kuck.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/3878889.stm BBC News]</ref>
+
A music video for "Where Are We Now?" was released onto Vimeo the same day, directed by New York artist Tony Oursler. The single topped the UK iTunes Chart within hours of its release, and debuted in the UK Singles Chart at No. 6, his first single to enter the top 10 for two decades, (since "Jump They Say" in 1993). A second video, "The Stars (Are Out Tonight)", was released February 25. Directed by Floria Sigismondi, it stars Bowie and [[Tilda Swinton]] as a married couple.  
  
−
He was discharged in early July 2004 and continued to spend time recovering. Bowie later admitted he had suffered a minor [[myocardial infarction|heart attack]], resulting from years of heavy smoking and touring. The tour was cancelled for the time being, with hopes that he would go back on tour by August, though this did not materialise. He recuperated back in New York City.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3878889.stm BBC News]</ref>
+
Bowie wrote and recorded the opening title song to the television series ''The Last Panthers'', which aired in November 2015. The theme was also the title track for his January 2016 release ''Blackstar''.
−
 
 
−
In October 2004, Bowie released a live DVD of the tour, entitled ''[[A Reality Tour (film)|A Reality Tour]]'' of his performances in Dublin, Ireland on 22 November and 23 November 2003, which included songs spanning the full length of Bowie's career, although mostly focusing on his more recent albums.
 
−
 
 
−
Still recuperating from his operation, Bowie worked off-stage and relaxed from studio work for the first time in several years. In 2004, a duet of his classic song "[[Changes (David Bowie song)|Changes]]" with [[Butterfly Boucher]] appeared in ''[[Shrek 2]]''. The soundtrack for the film ''[[The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou]]'' featured David Bowie songs performed in Portuguese by cast member [[Seu Jorge]] (who adapted the lyrics to make them relevant to the film's story). Most of the David Bowie songs featured in the film were originally from ''David Bowie'' (debut album), ''Space Oddity'', ''Hunky Dory'', ''The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars'' and ''Diamond Dogs''. Bowie commented, "Had Seu Jorge not recorded my songs acoustically in Portuguese I would never have heard this new level of beauty which he has imbued them with".<ref>[http://www.forbes.com/feeds/prnewswire/2005/11/14/prnewswire200511141546PR_NEWS_B_WES_LA_LAM135.html Forbes]</ref>
 
−
 
 
−
Despite hopes for a comeback, in 2005, Bowie announced that he had made no plans for any performances during the year. After a relatively quiet year, Bowie recorded the vocals for the song "(She Can) Do That," co-written by Brian Transeau, for the movie ''[[Stealth (movie)|Stealth]]''. Rumours flew about the possibility of a new album, but no announcements were made. In April 2005, film writer and director [[Darren Aronofsky]] revealed Bowie was working on a rock opera adaptation of the comic book ''[[Watchmen]]''.<ref name="Suicide Girls interview">{{cite news | url=http://suicidegirls.com/interviews/Darren+Aronofsky+-+The+Fountain/  | title=Darren Aronofsky - The Fountain | publisher=Suicide Girls | author=Daniel Robert Epstein | work=Suicide Girls | date=1 April 2005}}</ref>
 
−
 
 
−
David Bowie finally returned to the stage on September 8 2005, alongside [[Arcade Fire]], for the nationally televised event Fashion Rocks, his first gig since the heart attack. Bowie has shown interest in the [[Montreal]] band since he was seen at one of their shows in [[New York City]] nearly a year earlier. Bowie had requested the band to perform at the show, and together they performed the Arcade Fire's song "Wake Up" from their album ''[[Funeral (album)|Funeral]]'', as well as Bowie's own "[[Five Years]]" and "[[Life on Mars?]]." He joined them again on September 15 2005, singing "[[Queen Bitch]]" and "Wake Up" from Central Park's Summerstage as part of the CMJ Music Marathon.
 
−
 
 
−
Bowie contributed back-up vocals for [[TV on the Radio]]'s song "Province" from their album ''Return to Cookie Mountain''.<ref>[http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/37017/TV_on_the_Radio_New_Album_Details_Revealed Pitchfork Media]</ref> He made other occasional appearances, as in his commercial with [[Snoop Dogg]] for [[XM Satellite Radio]]. He appeared on Danish alt-rockers [[Kashmir (band)|Kashmir's]] 2005 release, ''[[No Balance Palace]]'', which was produced by Tony Visconti. The album also featured a spoken word performance by Lou Reed, making it the second project involving both Bowie and Reed in two years, since Reed's 2003 ''[[The Raven (Lou Reed album)|The Raven]]''.
 
−
 
 
−
On February 8, 2006, David Bowie was awarded the [[Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award]]. In November, Bowie performed at the Black Ball in New York for the Keep a Child Alive Foundation alongside his wife, Iman, and [[Alicia Keys]]. He duetted with Keys on "Changes," and also performed "Wild is the Wind" and "Fantastic Voyage."
 
−
 
 
−
For 2006, Bowie once again announced a break from performance, but he made a surprise guest appearance at [[David Gilmour]]'s May 29 2006 concert at the [[Royal Albert Hall]] in [[London]]. He sang "[[Arnold Layne]]" and "[[Comfortably Numb]]," closing the concert. The former performance was released, on December 26 2006, as a single.
 
−
 
 
−
In May 2007, it was announced that Bowie would curate the High Line Festival in the abandoned railway park in New York called the [[High Line (New York City)|High Line]] where he would select various musicians and artists to perform.<ref>[http://www.davidbowie.com/news/newsContent.php?currentSection=NEWS&currentSubSection=Bowie%20News&id=20060508 2007 NYC Show As Bowie Curates first High Line Festival]</ref>
 
−
 
 
−
A forthcoming album entitled ''Anywhere I Lay My Head'', comprising ten covers of classic [[Tom Waits]] songs by actress [[Scarlett Johansson]], is due to feature two tracks with David Bowie on backing vocals: "Falling Down" and "Fannin' Street." The album is scheduled for release in spring 2008.<ref> [http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2008/02/13/how-scarlett-johansson-and-david-bowie-got-together-album-preview/ Rolling Stone: How Scarlett Johansson and David Bowie got together] </ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.teenagewildlife.com/Interact/cp/showthreaded.pl?Cat=&Board=newstoday&Number=534866&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&vc=1#Post534866 |title=Bowie Lends Vocals to Scarlett Johansson Album |accessdate=2008-03-03 |format= |work=BowieNet news release reprinted at teenagewildlife.com }}</ref>
 
  
 
== Acting career ==  
 
== Acting career ==  
−
{{main|David Bowie filmography}}
+
Bowie's first major film role in ''[[The Man Who Fell to Earth (film)|The Man Who Fell to Earth]]'' in 1976, earned him critical acclaim as an actor.
−
Bowie's first major film role in ''[[The Man Who Fell to Earth (film)|The Man Who Fell to Earth]]'' in 1976, earned acclaim. Bowie's character Thomas Jerome Newton is an alien from a planet that is dying from a lack of water. In [[1979 in film|1979's]] ''[[Schöner Gigolo, armer Gigolo|Just a Gigolo]]'', an Anglo-German co-production directed by [[David Hemmings]], Bowie played the lead role of a Prussian officer Paul von Pryzgodski returning from [[World War I]] who is discovered by a Baroness ([[Marlene Dietrich]]) and put into her Gigolo Stable.
+
In the 1980s, Bowie continued with film roles and also starred in the Broadway production of ''[[The Elephant Man]]'' (1980-1981). Bowie also starred in ''[[The Hunger]]'' (1983), a revisionist [[vampire]] movie with [[Catherine Deneuve]] and [[Susan Sarandon]].
  
−
In the eighties, Bowie continued with film roles and also starred in the Broadway production of ''[[The Elephant Man]]'' (1980-1981). In 1982, he made a cameo appearance as himself in ''[[Christiane F.]]'', focusing on a young girl's drug addiction. Bowie also starred in ''[[The Hunger]]'' (1983), a revisionist [[vampire]] movie with [[Catherine Deneuve]] and [[Susan Sarandon]]. In the film, Bowie and Deneuve are vampire lovers, with her having made him a vampire centuries ago. While she is truly ageless, he discovers to his horror that although immortal, he can still age and rapidly becomes a pathetic, monstrous husk as the film progresses. In [[Nagisa Oshima]]'s film ''[[Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence]]'' (1983), based on [[Laurens van der Post]]'s novel ''The Seed and the Sower'', Bowie played Major Jack Celliers, a prisoner of war in a [[Japan]]ese [[internment camp]]. Another famous musician, [[Ryuichi Sakamoto]], played the camp commandant who begins to be undermined by Celliers' bizarre behavior. Bowie had a cameo as The Shark in ''[[Yellowbeard]]'', a 1983 pirate comedy made by some of the members of [[Monty Python]], and a small part as Colin the [[hit man]] in the 1985 film ''[[Into the Night (film)|Into the Night]]''. During this time Bowie was also asked to play the villain [[Max Zorin]] in the [[James Bond]] film ''[[A View to a Kill]]'' (1985), but turned down the role, stating that "I didn't want to spend five months watching my stunt double fall off mountains."<ref>''The Complete David Bowie'' by Nicholas Pegg (2004, Reynolds & Hearn Ltd) p.561.</ref>
+
[[Image:David Bowie.jpg|thumb|200px|left|David Bowie in 2006]]
  
−
''Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence'' impressed some critics but his next major film project, the rock musical ''[[Absolute Beginners (film)|Absolute Beginners]]'' (1986), was both a critical and box office disappointment. The same year he appeared in the [[Jim Henson]] cult classic, the dark fantasy ''[[Labyrinth (film)|Labyrinth]]'' (1986), playing Jareth, the king of the [[goblin]]s. Jareth is a powerful, mysterious creature who has an antagonistic yet strangely flirtatious relationship with Sarah ([[Jennifer Connelly]]), the film's teenage heroine. Appearing in heavy make-up and a mane-like wig, Bowie sang a variety of new songs specially composed for the film's soundtrack. Bowie also played a sympathetic [[Pontius Pilate]] in [[Martin Scorsese]]'s ''[[The Last Temptation of Christ (film)|The Last Temptation of Christ]]'' (1988). He was briefly considered for the role of [[Joker (comics)|The Joker]] by [[Tim Burton]] and [[Sam Hamm]] for 1989's ''[[Batman (1989 film)|Batman]]''. Hamm recalls "David Bowie would be kind of neat because he's very funny when he does sinister roles." The role ended up going to [[Jack Nicholson]].<ref>[http://www.batmanmovieonline.com/behindthescenes/articles/samhamm.htm Batman Movie Online: Behind the Scenes]</ref>
+
In [[Nagisa Oshima]]'s film ''[[Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence]]'' (1983), Bowie played Major Jack Celliers, a prisoner of war in a [[Japan]]ese [[internment camp]]. Bowie also had a minor role as Colin the [[hit man]] in the 1985 film ''[[Into the Night (film)|Into the Night]].''
  
−
Bowie portrayed a disgruntled restaurant employee opposite [[Rosanna Arquette]] in the 1991 film ''[[The Linguini Incident]]'', and played mysterious [[FBI]] agent [[Phillip Jeffries]] in David Lynch's ''[[Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me]]'' (1992). He took the small but pivotal role of [[Andy Warhol]] in ''[[Basquiat]]'', artist/director [[Julian Schnabel]]'s 1996 [[biopic]] of the artist [[Jean-Michel Basquiat]]. In 1998 Bowie also co-starred in an [[Italy|Italian]] film called ''Gunslinger's Revenge'' (renamed from the original ''Il Mio West'').<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0148508/ Appearance in ''Il Mio West''], Italian film, 1998: [[Internet Movie Database|IMDB.com]] website.</ref> However, it was not released in the [[United States]] until 2005. In it he plays the most feared gunslinger in the region.<ref>[http://www.reelfilm.com/gunsrvng.htm ''Gunslinger's Revenge''], 2005 US release of ''Il Mio West'': review at the ''Reel Film'' website.</ref>
+
The rock musical ''[[Absolute Beginners (film)|Absolute Beginners]]'' (1986), was both a critical and box office disappointment. He fared better in the same year when he appeared in the [[Jim Henson]] cult classic ''[[Labyrinth (film)|Labyrinth]]'' (1986), playing Jareth, the king of the [[goblin]]s. He also played a sympathetic [[Pontius Pilate]] in [[Martin Scorsese]]'s ''[[The Last Temptation of Christ (film)|The Last Temptation of Christ]]'' (1988).
  
−
Before appearing in ''[[The Hunger (serial)|The Hunger]]'', a TV horror serial based on the 1983 movie, Bowie was invited by musician [[Goldie]] to play the aging gangster Bernie in Andrew Goth's ''[[Brighton Rock (film)|Brighton Rock]]'' inspired movie, ''[[Everybody Loves Sunshine]]''. He played the title role in the 2000 film, ''[[Mr. Rice's Secret]]'', in which he played the neighbour of a terminally ill twelve year old. In 2001, Bowie appeared as himself in the film ''[[Zoolander]]'', volunteering himself to be a walkoff judge between [[Ben Stiller|Ben Stiller's]] character Zoolander, and [[Owen Wilson|Owen Wilson's]] character, Hansel.
+
Bowie portrayed a disgruntled restaurant employee opposite [[Rosanna Arquette]] in the 1991 film ''[[The Linguini Incident]],'' and played mysterious [[FBI]] agent [[Phillip Jeffries]] in David Lynch's ''[[Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me]]'' (1992). He took the small but pivotal role of [[Andy Warhol]] in ''[[Basquiat]]'', director [[Julian Schnabel]]'s 1996 [[biopic]] of the artist [[Jean-Michel Basquiat]]. In 1998 Bowie also co-starred in an [[Italy|Italian]] film called ''Gunslinger's Revenge'' (renamed from the original ''Il Mio West'').
  
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In 2006, Bowie portrayed [[Nikola Tesla]] alongside [[Christian Bale]] and [[Hugh Jackman]] in ''[[The Prestige (film)|The Prestige]]'', directed by [[Christopher Nolan]]. It follows the bitter competition between two magicians around the turn of the century. Bowie has voice-acted in the animated movie ''[[Arthur and the Minimoys]]'' (known as ''Arthur and the Invisibles'' in the U.S.) as the powerful villain [[Emperor Malthazar|Maltazard]]. He also appeared as himself in an episode of ''[[Extras (TV series)|Extras]]''. Bowie (in the context of the show) improvised and sang a song mocking the main character [[Andy Millman]], played by [[Ricky Gervais]]. He also lent his voice to the character "Lord Royal Highness" in the ''[[SpongeBob SquarePants]]'' episode "[[SpongeBob's Atlantis SquarePantis]]" who, like Bowie, has mismatched eyes. His latest project is a supporting role as Ogilvie in the new film, ''[[August (film)|August]]'',<ref>[http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=40879 Film review, ''August (2008)''], to be released: ComingSoon.net website. Retrieved on January 24 2008.</ref> directed by [[Austin Chick]] (best known for writing and directing the 2002 romantic drama ''[[XX/XY]]''), and starring [[Josh Hartnett]] and [[Rip Torn]] (with whom he also worked on ''The Man Who Fell to Earth'').<ref>[http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0074851/fullcredits Previous work with Rip Torn], ''The Man Who Fell to Earth'': castlist from the IMDB.com website. Retrieved on March 7 2008.</ref>
+
Before appearing in ''[[The Hunger (serial)|The Hunger]],'' a TV horror serial based on the 1983 movie, Bowie was invited by musician [[Goldie]] to play the aging gangster Bernie in Andrew Goth's movie, ''[[Everybody Loves Sunshine]].'' He played the title role in the 2000 film, ''[[Mr. Rice's Secret]],'' in which he played the neighbor of a terminally ill 12-year-old. In 2001, Bowie appeared as himself in the film ''[[Zoolander]].'' In 2006, he portrayed [[Nikola Tesla]] alongside [[Christian Bale]] and [[Hugh Jackman]] in ''[[The Prestige (film)|The Prestige]],'' directed by [[Christopher Nolan]].  
  
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==Personal life==
+
Bowie has voice-acted in the animated movie ''[[Arthur and the Minimoys]]'' (known as ''Arthur and the Invisibles'' in the U.S.) as the powerful villain [[Emperor Malthazar|Maltazard]]. He also appeared as himself in an episode of ''[[Extras (TV series)|Extras]].'' He lent his voice to the character "Lord Royal Highness" in the ''[[SpongeBob SquarePants]]'' episode "[[SpongeBob's Atlantis SquarePantis]]." His also took a supporting role as Ogilvie in the 2008 film ''[[August (film)|August]].''
−
Bowie met his first wife [[Angela Bowie]] in 1969. According to Bowie, they  were "fucking the same bloke" (record executive Calvin Mark Lee).<ref>[http://www.anecdotage.com/index.php?aid=10116 Anecdotage.com]</ref> Angie's sense of fashion and outrage has been credited as a significant influence in Bowie's early career and rise to fame.<ref name="Strange Fascination pp.92-93">Buckley (2000): pp.92-93</ref> They married on 19 March, 1970 at Bromley Register Office in Beckenham Lane, [[Kent]], [[England]] where she permanently took his adopted last name. Their son was born on 30 May, 1971 and named [[Duncan Jones|Zowie]] (Zowie later preferred to be known as Joe/Joey, although now he has reverted to his legal birth name - "Duncan Zowie Haywood Jones"). They separated after eight years of marriage and divorced on 8 February, 1980, in [[Switzerland]]. The marriage has been cited as one of convenience for both.<ref name="Strange Fascination pp.92-93"/>
 
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Bowie '[[Coming out|outed]]' himself in an interview with ''[[Melody Maker]]'' in January 1972, a move coinciding with the first shots in his campaign for stardom as [[The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars|Ziggy Stardust]].<ref name="Bowie: An Illustrated Record p.7"/>In a 1976 interview with ''[[Playboy]]'', Bowie said: "It's true - I am a [[bisexuality|bisexual]]. But I can't deny that I've used that fact very well. I suppose it's the best thing that ever happened to me."  He distanced himself from that in a 1983 interview with ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', saying his earlier declaration of bisexuality was "the biggest mistake I ever made".<ref>Buckley (2000): p.401</ref> In 1993, he made the claim that he had always been a "closet heterosexual," and that his interest in homosexual and bisexual culture was more a product of the times and situation than his own feelings. Bowie stated, "It wasn't something I was comfortable with at all."<ref>[http://www.5years.com/shape.htm The Ziggy Stardust Companion]</ref> He expressed a different view in a 2002 interview with ''[[Blender (magazine)|Blender]]'': "I had no problem with people knowing I was bisexual. But I had no inclination to hold any banners or be a representative of any group of people. I knew what I wanted to be, which was a songwriter and a performer, and I felt that bisexuality became my headline over here for so long. America is a very puritanical place, and I think it stood in the way of so much I wanted to do."<ref>{{cite news |last=Collis| first=Clark| title = Dear Superstar: David Bowie | publisher =''Blender'' | date= 2002-08 | url =http://www.blender.com/guide/articles.aspx?id=366}}</ref>
 
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Bowie married his second wife, the [[Somalia|Somali]]-born [[supermodel]] [[Iman (model)|Iman Abdulmajid]], in 1992. The couple have a daughter, Alexandria Zahra Jones (known as Lexi), born August 15, 2000, and live in Manhattan and London.
 
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In September 2007, he made a contribution of U.S.$10,000 to the NAACP<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.naacp.org/news/press/2007-09-18/index.htm | title = Pop music icon makes contribution to Jena defense effort }}</ref> for the [[Jena Six]] Legal Defense Fund to help with legal bills of six teenagers arrested and charged with crimes related to their involvement in the assault of a teenager in [[Jena, Louisiana|Jena]].<ref>[http://people.monstersandcritics.com/news/article_1358004.php Donation to the Jena Six]: article at the ''MonstersAndCritics.com'' website. Retrieved on December 6 2007.</ref>
 
  
 
==Discography==  
 
==Discography==  
Line 192: Line 146:
  
 
===Studio albums===
 
===Studio albums===
 +
<div style="width:50%; float:left">
 
* ''[[David Bowie (album)|David Bowie]]'' (1967)
 
* ''[[David Bowie (album)|David Bowie]]'' (1967)
 
* ''[[Space Oddity (album)|Space Oddity]]'' (1969)
 
* ''[[Space Oddity (album)|Space Oddity]]'' (1969)
Line 205: Line 160:
 
* ''[["Heroes"]]'' (1977)
 
* ''[["Heroes"]]'' (1977)
 
* ''[[Lodger (album)|Lodger]]'' (1979)
 
* ''[[Lodger (album)|Lodger]]'' (1979)
 +
</div><div style="width:50%; float:left">
 
* ''[[Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)]]'' (1980)
 
* ''[[Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)]]'' (1980)
 
* ''[[Let's Dance (David Bowie album)|Let's Dance]]'' (1983)
 
* ''[[Let's Dance (David Bowie album)|Let's Dance]]'' (1983)
Line 215: Line 171:
 
* ''[[Heathen (album)|Heathen]]'' (2002)
 
* ''[[Heathen (album)|Heathen]]'' (2002)
 
* ''[[Reality (album)|Reality]]'' (2003)
 
* ''[[Reality (album)|Reality]]'' (2003)
−
 
+
* ''[[The Next Day]]'' (2013)
−
==Filmography==
+
* ''[[Blackstar]]'' (2016)
−
{{Main|David Bowie filmography}}
+
</div><br clear=all>
  
 
==Awards==  
 
==Awards==  
 
[[The Saturn Awards]]<br/>
 
[[The Saturn Awards]]<br/>
 
*Best Actor, ''[[The Man Who Fell to Earth]]'' (1977)
 
*Best Actor, ''[[The Man Who Fell to Earth]]'' (1977)
−
 
 
[[Daytime Emmy Award]]<br/>
 
[[Daytime Emmy Award]]<br/>
 
*Outstanding Special Class Special, ''Hollywood Rocks the Movies: The 1970s'' (2003, Shared with [[Kevin Burns]], David Sehring, and Patty Ivins Specht)
 
*Outstanding Special Class Special, ''Hollywood Rocks the Movies: The 1970s'' (2003, Shared with [[Kevin Burns]], David Sehring, and Patty Ivins Specht)
−
 
 
[[Grammy Awards]]<br/>
 
[[Grammy Awards]]<br/>
 
*[[Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video|Best Video, Short Form]]; "[[Jazzin' for Blue Jean]]" (1985)
 
*[[Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video|Best Video, Short Form]]; "[[Jazzin' for Blue Jean]]" (1985)
 
*[[Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award]] (2006)
 
*[[Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award]] (2006)
−
 
 
[[BRIT Awards]]<br/>
 
[[BRIT Awards]]<br/>
 
*Best British Male Solo Artist (1984)
 
*Best British Male Solo Artist (1984)
 
*Outstanding Contribution To Music (1996)
 
*Outstanding Contribution To Music (1996)
−
 
 
[[Webby Awards]]<br/>
 
[[Webby Awards]]<br/>
 
*Outstanding Contribution To Music (2007)
 
*Outstanding Contribution To Music (2007)
  
−
He has also previously declined the British honour [[Order of the British Empire|Commander of the British Empire]] in 2000, and [[knight]]hood in 2003.<ref>{{cite web |last=Thompson|first=Jody|title=Sixty things about David Bowie|publisher=(No. 35): BBC News|date=2007-01-08|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6230201.stm|accessdate=2008-01-12}}</ref>
+
He also previously declined the British honor [[Order of the British Empire|Commander of the British Empire]] in 2000, and [[knight]]hood in 2003.
  
−
==See also==  
+
==Legacy==
−
*[[Bowie Bonds]]
+
[[File:David Bowie holywood.jpg|thumb|right|David Bowie's star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]]]]
−
*[[Best selling music artists]] - World's top selling music artists chart.
+
Bowie's innovative songs and stagecraft brought a new dimension to popular music in the early 1970s, strongly influencing both its immediate forms and its subsequent development. A pioneer of [[glam rock]], Bowie, according to music historians Schinder and Schwartz, has joint responsibility with Marc Bolan for creating the genre. At the same time, he inspired the innovators of the [[punk rock]] music movement—historian Michael Campbell calls him "one of punk's seminal influences". While punk musicians trashed the conventions of pop stardom, Bowie moved on again—into a more abstract style of music making that in turn became a transforming influence.  
−
*[[List of number-one hits (United States)]]
 
−
*[[List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)]]
 
−
*[[List of Number 1 Dance Hits (United States)]]
 
−
*[[List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart]]
 
−
*[[List of people who have declined a British honour]]
 
−
*[[100 Greatest Britons]]
 
−
*[[Symphony No. 1 (Glass)|Low Symphony]] and [[Symphony No. 4 (Glass)|Heroes Symphony]]
 
  
−
== Notes ==
+
Bowie was inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] in 1996. Through perpetual reinvention, his influence continued to broaden and extend. In 2000, Bowie was named by [[NME]] as the "most influential artist of all time."
−
{{Reflist|2}}
 
  
 
== References ==  
 
== References ==  
−
*{{cite book|last=Buckley| first=David|year=2000| origyear=1999 |title=Strange Fascination - David Bowie: The Definitive Story |location=London |publisher=Virgin |isbn=075350457X}}
+
* Buckley, David. ''Strange Fascination - David Bowie: The Definitive Story.'' London: Virgin, 2000. ISBN 075350457X
−
*{{cite book|last=Carr |first=Roy |authorlink=Roy Carr |coauthors=[[Charles Shaar Murray|Murray, Charles Shaar]] | year=1981| title=Bowie: An Illustrated Record |location=New York| publisher=Avon|isbn=0380779668}}
+
* Carr, Roy, and Charles Shaar Murray. ''Bowie: An Illustrated Record.'' New York: Avon, 1981. ISBN 0380779668
−
*{{cite book|last=Pegg |first=Nicholas |authorlink=Nicholas Pegg |year=2004| origyear=2000 |title=The Complete David Bowie |location=London |publisher= Reynolds & Hearn |isbn=1903111730}}
+
* Pegg, Nicholas. ''The Complete David Bowie.'' London: Reynolds & Hearn, 2004. ISBN 1903111730
 +
* Sandford, Christopher. ''Bowie: Loving the Alien''. Time Warner, 1997. ISBN 0306808544
  
 
== External links ==
 
== External links ==
 +
All links retrieved January 28, 2024.
 +
 
* [http://www.davidbowie.com Official David Bowie website]
 
* [http://www.davidbowie.com Official David Bowie website]
 
* {{imdb name|name=David Bowie|id=0000309}}
 
* {{imdb name|name=David Bowie|id=0000309}}
 
* {{allmusic|name=David Bowie|id=11:jq6jtr49kl6x}}
 
* {{allmusic|name=David Bowie|id=11:jq6jtr49kl6x}}
−
* [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/davidbowie/biography David Bowie] at Rollingstone
 
−
* [http://www.npg.org.uk/live/search/portrait.asp?LinkID=mp08176&rNo=0&role=art David Bowie's portrait by [[Stephen Finer]] in the National Portrait Gallery]
 
−
* {{Last.fm|David Bowie|David Bowie}}
 
  
−
{{David bowie}}
 
  
−
{{Lifetime|1947||Bowie, David}}
+
[[category:Art, music, literature, sports and leisure]]
 +
[[Category:biography]]
 +
[[Category:music]]
 +
[[Category:musicians]]
  
−
{{Persondata
 
−
|NAME=Bowie, David
 
−
|ALTERNATIVE NAMES=David Robert Jones, Thin White Duke, Ziggy Stardust
 
−
|SHORT DESCRIPTION=[[England|English]] [[singer]], [[songwriter]], [[multi-instrumentalist]], [[Record producer|producer]], [[Arrangement|arranger]] and [[audio engineer]]
 
−
|DATE OF BIRTH={{Birth date and age|1947|1|8|mf=y}}
 
−
|PLACE OF BIRTH=[[Brixton]], [[London]]
 
−
|DATE OF DEATH=
 
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|PLACE OF DEATH=
 
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}}
 
−
[[Category:biography]]
 
 
{{Credit|210575360}}
 
{{Credit|210575360}}

Latest revision as of 07:53, 28 January 2024

David Bowie
David Bowie in 1987
David Bowie in 1987
Background information
Birth name David Jones
Also known as "Ziggy Stardust"
"The Thin White Duke"
Born January 8 1947(1947-01-08)
Brixton, England
Died January 10 2016 (aged 69)
Genre(s) Rock, glam rock, art rock, pop rock, blue-eyed soul, experimental
Instrument(s) Vocals, multi-instrumentalist
Years active 1964—2016
Associated acts The Konrads, The King Bees, The Manish Boys, The Lower Third, The Riot Squad, Tin Machine
Website www.davidbowie.com

David Bowie (pronounced /ˈboʊiː/ - born David Robert Jones, January 8, 1947 - January 10, 2016) was an English musician, singer-songwriter, actor, producer, arranger, and audio engineer. Active in five decades of rock music and frequently reinventing both his music and image, Bowie is regarded as an influential musical innovator.

Bowie first caught the eye and ear of the public in the autumn of 1969, when his space-age mini-melodrama "Space Oddity" reached the top five of the UK singles chart. In 1972, his seminal concept album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust made Bowie's androgynous persona famous. In 1975, he achieved his first major American success with the number-one single "Fame" and the hit album Young Americans. He then confounded the expectations of both his record label and his American audiences by recording the minimalist album Low, the first of three collaborations with Brian Eno. He scored a major hit in 1983 with "Let's Dance," which went to number one in both the United States and United Kingdom and is now considered a classic. The innovative 1984 video "Jazzin' for Blue Jean" won Bowie a Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video.

Bowie also achieved success as a stage and film actor, notably in the 1976 movie The Man Who Fell to Earth. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the eleventh annual induction ceremony in 1996. In 2006, he was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Life

Bowie was born David Robert Jones in Brixton, south London, on January 8, 1947. His mother, Margaret Mary "Peggy" (née Burns), was from Kent, the daughter of poor Irish immigrants who had settled in Manchester. She worked as a waitress while his father, Haywood Stenton "John" Jones, from Yorkshire, was a promotions officer for the children's charity Barnardo's. The family lived near the border of the south London areas of Brixton and Stockwell. Bowie attended Stockwell Infants School until he was six years old, acquiring a reputation as a gifted and single-minded child—and a defiant brawler.

In 1953, Bowie moved with his family to the suburb of Bromley, where, two years later, he progressed to Burnt Ash Junior School. His voice was considered "adequate" by the school choir, and he demonstrated above-average abilities in playing the recorder. At the age of nine, his dancing during the newly introduced music and movement classes was strikingly imaginative. The same year, his interest in music was further stimulated when his father brought home a collection of American 45s by artists including Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, the Platters, Fats Domino, Elvis Presley, and Little Richard. By the end of the following year he had taken up the ukulele and tea-chest bass and begun to participate in skiffle sessions with friends, and had started to play the piano; meanwhile his stage presentation of numbers by both Presley and Chuck Berry—complete with gyrations in tribute to the original artists—to his local Wolf Cub group was described as mesmerizing. After taking his eleven plus exam at the conclusion of his Burnt Ash Junior education, Bowie went to Bromley Technical High School.

It was an unusual technical school, as biographer Christopher Sandford wrote:

Despite its status it was, by the time David arrived in 1958, as rich in arcane ritual as any [English] public school. There were houses, named after eighteenth-century statesmen like Pitt and Wilberforce. There was a uniform, and an elaborate system of rewards and punishments. There was also an accent on languages, science and particularly design, where a collegiate atmosphere flourished under the tutorship of Owen Frampton. In David's account, Frampton led through force of personality, not intellect; his colleagues at Bromley Tech were famous for neither, and yielded the school's most gifted pupils to the arts, a regime so liberal that Frampton actively encouraged his own son, Peter, to pursue a musical career with David, a partnership briefly intact thirty years later. ~ Christopher Sandford, Bowie: Loving the Alien (Time Warner, 1997), 21–22.

Bowie studied art, music and design, including layout and typesetting. After Terry Burns, his half-brother, introduced him to modern jazz, his enthusiasm for players like Charles Mingus and John Coltrane led his mother to give him a plastic alto saxophone in 1961; he was soon receiving lessons from a local musician.

An admitted bi-sexual, Bowie met his first wife Angela Bowie in 1969. They married on March 19, 1970 at Bromley Register Office in Beckenham Lane, Kent, England where she permanently took his adopted last name. Their son was born on May 30, 1971 and named Zowie. They separated after eight years of marriage and divorced in 1980.

Bowie married his second wife, the Somali-born supermodel Iman Abdulmajid, in 1992. The couple had a daughter, Alexandria Zahra Jones (known as Lexi), born August 15, 2000. They lived in Manhattan and London.

Bowie died on January 10, 2016, two days after releasing the album Blackstar on his 69th birthday, from liver cancer at his New York home. He had been diagnosed with the malignancy eighteen months previously.

Musical career

1947 to 1967: Early years

David Robert Jones was born in Brixton, London, to a father from Tadcaster in Yorkshire and a mother from an Irish family; his parents were married shortly after his birth. When he was six years old, his family moved from Brixton to Bromley in Kent, where he attended the Bromley Technical High School.

Little Richard was an early major influence on Bowie.

Bowie's interest in music was sparked at the age of nine when his father brought home a collection of American 45s, including Fats Domino, Chuck Berry, and Little Richard. Upon listening to "Tutti Frutti," Bowie would later say, "I had heard God." (Doggett, 2007, 8-9.) His half-brother Terry introduced him to modern jazz. He formed his first band in 1962, the Konrads and then played with various blues/beat groups, such as the King Bees, the Manish Boys, the Lower Third, and the Riot Squad, releasing his first single, "Liza Jane," with the King Bees in 1964. His early work shifted through the blues and Elvis-inspired rock while also working with many British pop styles.

Having changed his name from David Jones to avoid being confused with the lead singer of the Monkees, Bowie released his first album in 1967 for the Decca Records offshoot Deram. Simply called David Bowie, it was an amalgam of pop, psychedelia, and theatrical music. Influenced by the dramatic arts, he studied avant-garde theatre, mime, and Commedia dell'arte with British choreographer Lindsay Kemp, and much of his work would involve the conscious creation of personae to present to the world. During 1967, Bowie sold his first song to another artist, "Oscar" (an early stage name of actor-musician Paul Nicholas).

1969 to 1973: Psychedelic folk to glam rock

Bowie's first brush with fame came in 1969 with his single "Space Oddity," written the previous year but recorded and released to coincide with the first moon landing. It became a Top 5 UK hit. The corresponding album, his second, was originally titled David Bowie, like his first, but was re-released by RCA Records as Space Oddity in 1972.

In 1970 Bowie released his third album, The Man Who Sold the World, rejecting the acoustic guitar sound of the previous album and replacing it with the heavy rock backing provided by Mick Ronson, who would be a major collaborator through to 1973. Much of the album resembles British heavy metal music of the period, but the album provided some unusual musical detours, such as the title track's use of Latin sounds and rhythms. The original UK cover of the album showed Bowie in a dress, an early example of his androgynous appearance.

His next record, Hunky Dory (1971), featured such light fare such as the droll "Kooks," but also explored more serious themes such as "Oh! You Pretty Things," the semi-autobiographical "The Bewlay Brothers," and the Buddhist-influenced "Quicksand." Hunky Dory was not a big hit at first, but it laid the groundwork for the move that would shortly lift Bowie into the first rank of stars, giving him four top-ten albums and eight top ten singles in the UK in 18 months between 1972 and 1973.

Bowie's androgynous persona was further explored in June 1972 with the seminal concept album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, which presents a world destined to end in five years and tells the story of the ultimate rock star. The Ziggy Stardust character became the basis for Bowie's first large-scale tour beginning in 1972, where he donned his famous flaming red hair and wild outfits. The tour's success made Bowie a star, and soon the six-month-old Hunky Dory was eclipsed by Ziggy Stardust, when it peaked at number three on the UK chart.

His Aladdin Sane album topped the UK chart in 1973, his first number one album. Described by Bowie as "Ziggy goes to America," it contained songs he wrote while traveling to and across the US during the earlier part of the Ziggy tour, which then continued to Japan to promote the new album. Aladdin Sane spawned the UK top five singles "The Jean Genie" and "Drive-In Saturday".

Around the same time Bowie began promoting and producing his rock and roll heroes including former Velvet Underground singer Lou Reed's solo breakout album Transformer, Mott the Hoople's fifth album and title track, All the Young Dudes, and Iggy Pop's band The Stooges' third album Raw Power. Iggy Pop later reciprocated by writing the song China Doll in consideration for Bowie's assistance. It can be argued that Bowie's attention and support either launched, in the case of Reed and John Mellancamp, or saved, in the case of Mott the Hoople's and Iggy Pop's, performance careers. It has been noted by some that Bowie used his influence with Tony DeFries at Mainman Studios and the studio became a magnet for aspiring performance artists such as John Mellancamp, known then as Johnny Cougar.

1974 to 1976: Soul, R&B, and The Thin White Duke

The year 1974 saw the release of another ambitious album, Diamond Dogs, with a spoken word introduction and a multi-part song suite ("Sweet Thing/Candidate/Sweet Thing (reprise)"). Diamond Dogs was the product of two distinct ideas: a musical based on a wild future in a post-apocalyptic city, and setting George Orwell's 1984 to music. Bowie also made plans to develop a Diamond Dogs movie, but the project did not materialize.

Bowie's 1975 Young Americans was his definitive exploration of Philly soul—though he himself referred to the sound ironically as "plastic soul." It contained his first number-one hit in the US, "Fame," co-written with Carlos Alomar and John Lennon, who also contributed backing vocals. Ziggy Stardust fans who had not discerned the soul and funk strains already apparent in Bowie's work found this "new" sound was considered a sudden and jolting step, but Young Americans was the album that cemented Bowie's stardom in the U.S.

Station to Station (1976) featured a darker version of this soul persona, called "The Thin White Duke." Visually, the figure was an extension of the character Bowie portrayed in the film The Man Who Fell to Earth, Thomas Jerome Newton. Station to Station was a transitional album, prefiguring the Krautrock and synthesizer music of his next releases, while further developing the funk and soul music of Young Americans.

The 1976 World Tour featured a starkly lit set and highlighted new songs such as the dramatic and lengthy title track, the ballads "Wild Is the Wind" and "Word on a Wing," and the funkier "TVC 15" and "Stay." The tour, though highly successful, was also entrenched in controversy, as some in the media claimed that Bowie was advocating fascism, a charge Bowie said resulted from a complete misinterpretation of his essentially anti-fascist message.

1976 to 1980: The Berlin era

Bowie in 1978
Iggy Pop

Bowie's interest in the growing German music scene, as well as his drug addiction, prompted him to move to West Berlin to dry out and rejuvenate his career. Sharing an apartment in Schöneberg with his friend Iggy Pop, he co-produced three more of his own classic albums with Tony Visconti, while aiding Pop with his career. With Bowie as a co-writer and musician, Pop completed his first two solo albums, The Idiot and Lust for Life. Bowie joined Pop's touring band in the spring, playing keyboard and singing backing vocals. The group performed in the UK, Europe, and the US from March to April 1977.

Low, the first of three albums that became known as the "Berlin Trilogy," was recorded with Brian Eno as an integral collaborator. Partly influenced by the "Krautrock" sound and the minimalist work of Steve Reich, Bowie journeyed to Neunkirchen near Cologne and recorded new songs that were relatively simple and repetitive, with the second side almost wholly instrumental. The album provided him with a surprise number three hit in the UK aided by the BBC's using the single, "Sound and Vision," as its 'coming attractions' theme music.

His next record, Heroes, was similar in sound to Low, though slightly more accessible. The mood of these records fit the zeitgeist of the Cold War, symbolized by the divided city that provided its inspiration.

Bowie and his band embarked on an extensive world tour in 1978 that featured music from both Low and Heroes. A live album from the tour was released as Stage the same year. Songs from both Low and Heroes were later converted to symphonies by minimalist composer Phillip Glass.

Lodger (1979) was the final album in Bowie's so-called "Berlin Trilogy." The style was a mix of New Wave and world music, including pieces such as "African Night Flight" and "Yassassin."

In 1980, Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) represented a major departure from the Berlin era, and revisiting the character of Major Tom from "Space Oddity." It included the number one hit "Ashes to Ashes," featuring the textural work of guitar-synthesist Chuck Hammer.

1980 to 1989: Bowie the superstar

In 1981, Queen released "Under Pressure," co-written and performed with Bowie. The song was a hit and became Bowie's third UK number one single.

Bowie scored a blockbuster hit with Let's Dance in 1983, a slick dance album co-produced by Chic's Nile Rodgers. The title track went to number one in the United States and United Kingdom and many now consider it a standard.

Bowie's next album was originally planned to be a live album recorded on the Serious Moonlight Tour, but EMI demanded another studio album instead. The resulting Tonight (1984), was also dance-oriented, featuring collaborations with Tina Turner and Iggy Pop, as well as various covers, including one of The Beach Boys' "God Only Knows." Critics labeled it a lazy effort, but the album bore the transatlantic top-ten hit "Blue Jean." The associated video, the 21-minute short film "Jazzin' for Blue Jean," reflected Bowie's long-standing interest in combining music with drama. This video would win Bowie his only Grammy to date, for Best Short Form Music Video.

In 1986, Bowie acted in and contributed several songs to the film Absolute Beginners. The movie was not well reviewed but Bowie's theme song rose to number two on the UK charts. He also took a role in the 1986 Jim Henson film Labyrinth, as Jareth, the Goblin King who steals the baby brother of a girl named Sarah (played by Jennifer Connelly), in order to turn him into a goblin. Bowie wrote five songs for the film, the script was partially written by Monty Python's Terry Jones.

Bowie's final solo album of the 80s was 1987's Never Let Me Down, offering a harder rock sound with an industrial/techno dance edge. The album, which peaked at number six in the UK, contained hit singles "Day In, Day Out," "Time Will Crawl," and "Never Let Me Down." In August of 1988, Bowie portrayed Pontius Pilate in the Martin Scorsese film The Last Temptation of Christ.

1989 to 1992: Tin Machine

Bowie in Chile in 1999

In 1989, for the first time since the early 1970s, Bowie formed a regular band, Tin Machine, a hard-rocking quartet, along with Reeves Gabrels, Tony Sales, and Hunt Sales. Tin Machine released two studio albums and a live record. The band received mixed reviews and a somewhat lukewarm reception from the public, but Tin Machine heralded the beginning of a long-lasting collaboration between Bowie and Gabrels. The original album, Tin Machine (1989), was a success, holding the number three spot on the charts of the UK.

After the less successful second album Tin Machine II and the complete failure of live album Tin Machine Live: Oy Vey, Baby, Bowie tired of having to work in a group setting where his creativity was limited, and finally disbanded Tin Machine to work on his own. But the Tin Machine venture did show that Bowie had learned some harsh lessons from the previous decade, and was determined to get serious about concentrating on music more than commercial success.

1993 to 1999: Electronica

In 1993 Bowie released Black Tie White Noise, which reunited him with Let's Dance producer Nile Rodgers. The album hit the number one spot on the UK charts with singles such as "Jump They Say" and "Miracle Goodnight."

Bowie explored new directions on The Buddha of Suburbia (1993), based on incidental music composed for a TV series. It contained some of the new elements introduced in Black Tie White Noise, and also signaled a move towards alternative rock. The album was a critical success but received a low-key release and only made number 87 in the UK charts.

The ambitious, quasi-industrial release Outside (1995), conceived as the first volume in a subsequently abandoned non-linear narrative of art and murder, reunited him with Brian Eno. The album introduced the characters of one of Bowie's short stories, and achieved chart success in both the UK and US.

Receiving some of the strongest critical response since Let's Dance was Earthling (1997), which included a single released over the Internet, called "Telling Lies." Other singles included "Little Wonder" and "Dead Man Walking."

1999 to 2012: Neoclassicist Bowie

Portrait of Bowie by Ines Zgonc

In 1998, a reunion with Tony Visconti led to the pair pursuing a new collaborative effort. Their "(Safe In This) Sky Life" was later re-recorded and released in 2002 where it was retitled "Safe." In the same year, Bowie curated the annual Meltdown festival in London.

In September 2003, Bowie released a new album, Reality, and announced a world tour. In October 2004, he released a live DVD of the tour, entitled A Reality Tour of his performances in Dublin, Ireland. Despite hopes for a comeback, in 2005 Bowie announced that he had made no plans for any performances during the year.

In 2006, Bowie made a surprise guest appearance at David Gilmour's May 29 concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London. His performance of "Arnold Layne" was released as a single. In 2008, Bowie released a new compilation entitled iSELECT, notable in that it only contained one major hit single, "Life on Mars?," and concentrated on lesser-known album tracks.

2013 to 2016: Final years

On January 8, 2013 (his 66th birthday), his website announced a new album, to be titled The Next Day and scheduled for release in March . Bowie's first studio album in a decade, The Next Day contains 14 songs plus 3 bonus tracks. Record producer Tony Visconti said 29 tracks were recorded for the album, some of which could appear on Bowie's next record, which he might start work on later in 2013. The announcement was accompanied by the immediate release of a single, "Where Are We Now?", written and recorded by Bowie in New York and produced by longtime collaborator Tony Visconti.

A music video for "Where Are We Now?" was released onto Vimeo the same day, directed by New York artist Tony Oursler. The single topped the UK iTunes Chart within hours of its release, and debuted in the UK Singles Chart at No. 6, his first single to enter the top 10 for two decades, (since "Jump They Say" in 1993). A second video, "The Stars (Are Out Tonight)", was released February 25. Directed by Floria Sigismondi, it stars Bowie and Tilda Swinton as a married couple.

Bowie wrote and recorded the opening title song to the television series The Last Panthers, which aired in November 2015. The theme was also the title track for his January 2016 release Blackstar.

Acting career

Bowie's first major film role in The Man Who Fell to Earth in 1976, earned him critical acclaim as an actor. In the 1980s, Bowie continued with film roles and also starred in the Broadway production of The Elephant Man (1980-1981). Bowie also starred in The Hunger (1983), a revisionist vampire movie with Catherine Deneuve and Susan Sarandon.

David Bowie in 2006

In Nagisa Oshima's film Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983), Bowie played Major Jack Celliers, a prisoner of war in a Japanese internment camp. Bowie also had a minor role as Colin the hit man in the 1985 film Into the Night.

The rock musical Absolute Beginners (1986), was both a critical and box office disappointment. He fared better in the same year when he appeared in the Jim Henson cult classic Labyrinth (1986), playing Jareth, the king of the goblins. He also played a sympathetic Pontius Pilate in Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ (1988).

Bowie portrayed a disgruntled restaurant employee opposite Rosanna Arquette in the 1991 film The Linguini Incident, and played mysterious FBI agent Phillip Jeffries in David Lynch's Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992). He took the small but pivotal role of Andy Warhol in Basquiat, director Julian Schnabel's 1996 biopic of the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. In 1998 Bowie also co-starred in an Italian film called Gunslinger's Revenge (renamed from the original Il Mio West).

Before appearing in The Hunger, a TV horror serial based on the 1983 movie, Bowie was invited by musician Goldie to play the aging gangster Bernie in Andrew Goth's movie, Everybody Loves Sunshine. He played the title role in the 2000 film, Mr. Rice's Secret, in which he played the neighbor of a terminally ill 12-year-old. In 2001, Bowie appeared as himself in the film Zoolander. In 2006, he portrayed Nikola Tesla alongside Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman in The Prestige, directed by Christopher Nolan.

Bowie has voice-acted in the animated movie Arthur and the Minimoys (known as Arthur and the Invisibles in the U.S.) as the powerful villain Maltazard. He also appeared as himself in an episode of Extras. He lent his voice to the character "Lord Royal Highness" in the SpongeBob SquarePants episode "SpongeBob's Atlantis SquarePantis." His also took a supporting role as Ogilvie in the 2008 film August.

Discography

Studio albums

  • David Bowie (1967)
  • Space Oddity (1969)
  • The Man Who Sold the World (1970)
  • Hunky Dory (1971)
  • The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972)
  • Aladdin Sane (1973)
  • Pin Ups (1973)
  • Diamond Dogs (1974)
  • Young Americans (1975)
  • Station to Station (1976)
  • Low (1977)
  • "Heroes" (1977)
  • Lodger (1979)
  • Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) (1980)
  • Let's Dance (1983)
  • Tonight (1984)
  • Never Let Me Down (1987)
  • Black Tie White Noise (1993)
  • Outside (1995)
  • Earthling (1997)
  • 'hours...' (1999)
  • Heathen (2002)
  • Reality (2003)
  • The Next Day (2013)
  • Blackstar (2016)


Awards

The Saturn Awards

  • Best Actor, The Man Who Fell to Earth (1977)

Daytime Emmy Award

  • Outstanding Special Class Special, Hollywood Rocks the Movies: The 1970s (2003, Shared with Kevin Burns, David Sehring, and Patty Ivins Specht)

Grammy Awards

  • Best Video, Short Form; "Jazzin' for Blue Jean" (1985)
  • Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (2006)

BRIT Awards

  • Best British Male Solo Artist (1984)
  • Outstanding Contribution To Music (1996)

Webby Awards

  • Outstanding Contribution To Music (2007)

He also previously declined the British honor Commander of the British Empire in 2000, and knighthood in 2003.

Legacy

David Bowie's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

Bowie's innovative songs and stagecraft brought a new dimension to popular music in the early 1970s, strongly influencing both its immediate forms and its subsequent development. A pioneer of glam rock, Bowie, according to music historians Schinder and Schwartz, has joint responsibility with Marc Bolan for creating the genre. At the same time, he inspired the innovators of the punk rock music movement—historian Michael Campbell calls him "one of punk's seminal influences". While punk musicians trashed the conventions of pop stardom, Bowie moved on again—into a more abstract style of music making that in turn became a transforming influence.

Bowie was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. Through perpetual reinvention, his influence continued to broaden and extend. In 2000, Bowie was named by NME as the "most influential artist of all time."

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Buckley, David. Strange Fascination - David Bowie: The Definitive Story. London: Virgin, 2000. ISBN 075350457X
  • Carr, Roy, and Charles Shaar Murray. Bowie: An Illustrated Record. New York: Avon, 1981. ISBN 0380779668
  • Pegg, Nicholas. The Complete David Bowie. London: Reynolds & Hearn, 2004. ISBN 1903111730
  • Sandford, Christopher. Bowie: Loving the Alien. Time Warner, 1997. ISBN 0306808544

External links

All links retrieved January 28, 2024.

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