David Bowie who gave us six decades of magic dies of cancer
David Bowie began music career in the sixties as a schoolboy David Jones playing saxophone with ambitions to become a pop star. He was born in Brixton, South West London and brought up in Bromley. He played with a variety of bands during the decade when he recorded his first album Liza Jane/Louie Louie Go Home in 1964, under the banner David Jones with The King-Bees. In 1966 his name was changed to Bowie, in 1967 released his first album – a mix of pop songs, vaudeville and psychedelia, and ended sixties with a hit single Space Oddity.
In the Seventies he released the guitar rock album, The Man Who Sold the World and in 1971 Hunky Dory, best loved anthems, Life in Mars. In 1972, he introduced his flamboyant later ego Ziggy Stardust on the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. In 1975, he recorded his “plastic soul” album Young Americans and Station to Station recorded after he starred in Nicolas Roeg’s, The Man Who Fell to Earth. In late 70s Bowie moved to Berlin and produced three experimental art rock albums- Low, Heroes and Lodger. Other famous songs during this era included Sound and Vision, Boys Keep Swinging and DJ.
In the 80s his first three albums of the decade went to number one in UK. Scary Monsters ( and Super Creeps), Ashes to Ashes ( ground breaking video). In 1983, Let’s Dance album, China Girl and Modern Love attracted new generation of fans. In 1984 Tonight album, was a top-seller, in 1987 Never Let Me Down and Glass spider tour. The Late 80s Bowie’s rock roots came to lime light with Tin Machine.
In the 1990s, Black Tie White Noise, an album inspired by his wedding to Somali supermodel Iman. In 1996, he became a web pioneer with the first internet-only release of the song Telling lies and was also the first musician to create an internet service provider.
In 1997’s Earthling album with Bowie on the cover in a distinctive Union Jack coat.
In 2000, Bowie gave sterling performance at the Glastonbury festival nearly three decades after his debut there.
In 2002, Heathen and in 2003 Reality. In 2004 Reality tour Bowie suffered chest pains and underwent emergency heart surgery for a blocked artery. In 2006 he appeared in the big screen Christopher Noland Illusionist The Prestige.
In 2013, he released his first new song in 10 years Where Are We Now appeared on his 66th Birthday. The New album Blackstar, released on Bowie’s 69th Birthday on 8th January 2016 turned out to be the singer’s final studio work.
The legend died from cancer two days later in New York City on Sunday surrounded by his family. Tributes came from Mick Jagger and Elton John to the Vatican with over 4.3 million tweet dedicated to the genius icon.