David Bowie
Sat 14th Nov - 9:00PM
Ziggy Stardust, The Thin White Duke, glam rock to blue-eyed soul. They don't come any more challenging or talented than David Bowie.
David Bowie
born: 08-01-1947
birth place: London, England
David Bowie was born David Robert Jones in Brixton, South London. He developed an interest in music early onl and began playing the saxophone aged thirteen. At sixteen, he started a career as a commercial artist, singing and playing with rock bands in his spare time. By 1966, Jones had recorded singles with three different groups and decided to set out on his own as a solo act. He decided on the stage name, David Bowie, to avoid confusion with Davy Jones (of pop group 'The Monkees').
After recording an unsuccessful solo album, Bowie dropped out of the music business for a spell, and began to study mime. In 1969, he formed his own mime troupe, Feathers, as well as an experimental art ensemble. Neither was commercially successful, so Bowie signed a deal to record another album, which included the offbeat ‘Space Odyssey'.
Bowie's next album, 1970's ‘The Man Who Sold the World’, represented a move toward a harder rock sound and, in 1972, he scored his breakthrough with ‘The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and 'The Spiders From Mars’, a concept album about a sexually ambiguous rock star from outer space. Released as the glam rock scene was beginning to peak, Ziggy Stardust made Bowie a full-fledged superstar, in both England and the United States. Bowie was to become as famous for his campy cross-dressing and different coloured eyes, (the result of a schoolyard fight that left one pupil permanently enlarged) as for his dramatic sound.
In 1976, director Nicolas Roeg cast Bowie in his first leading role, as an unhappy alien who becomes a famous industrialist and pop star, as he tries to find a way home in ‘The Man Who Fell to Earth’. The story seemed made-to-order for Bowie's public persona, and he gave a fine performance, which helped the film become a modest box-office success.
In 1983, Bowie's album 'Let's Dance' brought him to new heights of commercial success and his next major film, Nagisa Oshima's ‘Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence’ found him receiving top billing for what was essentially a supporting role. He also recorded music for 'Hero' and 'The Falcon' and the Snowman'.
In 1986, Bowie scored one of his rare leading roles in a mainstream film, when he starred in the big-budget fantasy 'Labyrinth'. He also appeared as Pontius Pilate in Martin Scorsese's ‘The Last Temptation of Christ’.
In 1997 David Bowie broke new ground, yet again, with the Internet-only release of his single ‘Telling Lies.’
Having recently completed a World tour, David Bowie has proven himself to be a true music industry survivor.
born: 08-01-1947
birth place: London, England
David Bowie was born David Robert Jones in Brixton, South London. He developed an interest in music early onl and began playing the saxophone aged thirteen. At sixteen, he started a career as a commercial artist, singing and playing with rock bands in his spare time. By 1966, Jones had recorded singles with three different groups and decided to set out on his own as a solo act. He decided on the stage name, David Bowie, to avoid confusion with Davy Jones (of pop group 'The Monkees').
After recording an unsuccessful solo album, Bowie dropped out of the music business for a spell, and began to study mime. In 1969, he formed his own mime troupe, Feathers, as well as an experimental art ensemble. Neither was commercially successful, so Bowie signed a deal to record another album, which included the offbeat ‘Space Odyssey'.
Bowie's next album, 1970's ‘The Man Who Sold the World’, represented a move toward a harder rock sound and, in 1972, he scored his breakthrough with ‘The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and 'The Spiders From Mars’, a concept album about a sexually ambiguous rock star from outer space. Released as the glam rock scene was beginning to peak, Ziggy Stardust made Bowie a full-fledged superstar, in both England and the United States. Bowie was to become as famous for his campy cross-dressing and different coloured eyes, (the result of a schoolyard fight that left one pupil permanently enlarged) as for his dramatic sound.
In 1976, director Nicolas Roeg cast Bowie in his first leading role, as an unhappy alien who becomes a famous industrialist and pop star, as he tries to find a way home in ‘The Man Who Fell to Earth’. The story seemed made-to-order for Bowie's public persona, and he gave a fine performance, which helped the film become a modest box-office success.
In 1983, Bowie's album 'Let's Dance' brought him to new heights of commercial success and his next major film, Nagisa Oshima's ‘Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence’ found him receiving top billing for what was essentially a supporting role. He also recorded music for 'Hero' and 'The Falcon' and the Snowman'.
In 1986, Bowie scored one of his rare leading roles in a mainstream film, when he starred in the big-budget fantasy 'Labyrinth'. He also appeared as Pontius Pilate in Martin Scorsese's ‘The Last Temptation of Christ’.
In 1997 David Bowie broke new ground, yet again, with the Internet-only release of his single ‘Telling Lies.’
Having recently completed a World tour, David Bowie has proven himself to be a true music industry survivor.
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