Today is the 8th January and this time 65 years ago David Robert Jones was born. Born into Brixton from an early age he was attracted to music, although his voice was called 'Adequate' by the school choir it was obvious to David's teachers that he had 'vividly artistic' interpretations of music.
He started in a band when he was 15 called the Konrads to the Riot squad where they would play weddings and party gatherings. When he left school he informed his parents that he wanted to be a pop star. He became David Bowie after his real name Davie Jones was already in use by that of Davy Jones of the Monkees.
The Bowie name came from the 19th century American frontiersman Jim Bowie and the Bowie knife.
Bowie had a lack of commercial success to begin with but things started to turn around with 'Space Oddity' which was released within 5 days before the moon landing in 1969. It gave Bowie his first top 5 hit in the UK.
'The man who sold the world' would be released in 1971, with its heavy rock sound of his new backing band, it marked a departure from the acoustic and folk rock style which was characterised by 'Space Oddity' Mercury Records financed a US tour between January and February of 1971.
During the tour Bowie's observation of two seminal American proto punk artists led him to develop a concept that would eventually find form in the Ziggy Stardust character: a melding of the persona of Iggy Pop with the music of Lou Reed, producing "the ultimate pop idol", a girlfriend recalled his "scrawling notes on a cocktail napkin about a crazy rock star named Iggy or Ziggy", and on his return to England he declared his intention to create a character "who looks like he's landed from Mars"
Thus, Ziggy Stardust was born and in the words of biographer David Buckley, "challenged the core belief of the rock music of its day" and "created perhaps the biggest cult in popular culture"What I love about David Bowie is his ability to completely portray characters, not only was he an amazing musician but a great actor.
Ziggy Stardust has become a character in itself and one of rock and roll's major icons.
1980-89 was the era that transformed David Bowie from superstar to megastar, Bowie paired with another huge musical band which would make another iconic song that would filter through our radios for years to come. 'Under Pressure" by Queen and David Bowie became Bowie's third UK number one.
"It's the terror of knowing what this world is about, watching some good friend screaming 'Let me out' pray tomorrow takes me higher, pressure on people, people on streets"
Bowie reached a new peak of popularity and commercial success in 1983 with Let's Dance. The album went platinum in both the UK and the US. Its three singles became top twenty hits in both countries, where its title track reached number one. "Modern Love" and "China Girl" made number two in the UK
"Put on some Red shoes and dance the blues...If you say run, I'll run with you"
Bowie came a cult actor when he appeared in the successful film 'Labyrinth' as the Goblin King Jareth
"You have thirteen hours in which to solve the labyrinth, before your baby brother becomes one of us... forever."So today, I am celebrating the Birth of David Bowie by explaining why he is an amazing British star. He is artist who has moved people with his music and his personality. The first musician of his era to use visuals and imagination in his performances which still resonate today and has given many stars today the inspiration to begin a career.
Discography:-
- 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)
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