Born:
January 08, 1947
in
London
Best Known For:
His changing image.
Early-life:
Born David Robert Jones in London on January 8, 1947. His mother Peggy was a cinema usherette, his father Haywood a promotions officer for Barnardo's. David failed the eleven plus exam but was already dedicated to music. In his teens, a friend punched him, resulting in one permanently dilated pupil. He formed his first band at 15 and later studied with mime artist Lindsay Kemp, whom he credits with giving him his interest in performance and androgyny. He also changed his surname to Bowie to avoid confusion with the Monkees' Davy Jones.
Career:
Bowie's breakthrough came in 1969 when the BBC used his song Space Oddity for their coverage of the moon landing. Adopting the alter ego of Ziggy Stardust in 1972 made him a huge global star. Landmark albums Diamond Dogs, Young Americans and Low followed. He paired up with Queen for the 1981 chart hit Under Pressure and reached a commercial peak in 1983 with the single Let's Dance. Away from music, he had acted in a number of films, including The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976), Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence (1983), and Labyrinth (1986), and as himself in the sitcom Extras. He released his 25th and final studio album, Blackstar, on January 8, 2016. Two days later, he died from cancer. He was 69. During his career, he sold more than 140 million records.
Quote:
"Any list of advice I have to offer to a musician always ends with, 'If it itches, go and see a doctor.'"
Trivia:
In 2014, Bowie won the Best British Male gong at the Brit Awards.