David Bowie | Artist
David Robert Jones aka David Bowie, was an English singer, songwriter, musician, producer and actor born 1947 in Brixton, London. Bowie was a promising musician and actor from an early age and formed his first band at age 15 called the Konrads. His first solo single "The Laughing Gnome" was released April 1967 snd his debut album David Bowie was released six weeks later. Both releases were poorly received and Bowie went quiet for two years. On the 11th July 1969 the single "Space Oddity" was released and that went to number five on the UK singles chart. His second solo album, again titled David Bowie but later renamed Space Oddity, was released in Nov 1969. Wanting a fuller sound Bowie assembled a backing band called "Hype" with John Cambridge (drums), Tony Visconti (bass) and Mick Ronson (guitar). This was the genesis of The Spiders From Mars, with the replacement of Cambridge by Mick Woodmansey on drums. The Man Who Sold the World was released in 1970, Hunky Dory in 1971 and the masterpiece The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars in 1972. The rest, as they say, is history. In his lifetime he released 20 studio albums, plus live albums, soundtracks and countless hit singles. As a record producer Bowie worked with bands including Mott The Hoople (All The Young Dudes), Iggy Pop (The Idiot), The Stooges (Raw Power) and Lou Reed (Transformer). Bowie as a writer, performer and producer, was one of the most influential rock musicians of his time. Outstanding albums include Space Oddity (1969), Hunky Dory (1971), Ziggy Stardust (1972), Aladdin Sane (1973), Diamond Dogs (1974), Station to Station (1976), Low (1977), Heroes (1977), The Lodger (1979), Scary Monsters (1980) and Blackstar (2016). Musically, Bowie employed a wide variety of musical styles. His early compositions and performances were strongly influenced by rock'n'roll singers like Little Richard and Elvis Presley, and also the wider world of show business. He particularly strove to emulate the British musical theatre singer-songwriter and actor Anthony Newley, whose vocal style he frequently adopted. Bowie's fascination with music hall continued to surface sporadically alongside such diverse styles as hard rock and heavy metal, soul, psychedelic folk and pop. Outside of music, Bowie's acting career predated his commercial breakthrough as a musician. His first major film role was in Nicolas Roeg's The Man Who Fell to Earth, in which he portrayed Thomas Jerome Newton, an alien from a dying planet. The actor's severe cocaine addiction at the time left him in such a fragile state of mind that he barely understood the film; he later said of the role: "My one snapshot of that film is not having to act. Just being me as I was, was perfectly adequate for the role. I wasn't of this earth at that particular time." From July 1980 to January 1981, Bowie played Joseph Merrick in the Broadway theatre production The Elephant Man, which earned critical praise for his performance. Davis Bowie was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. Rolling Stone placed him among its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and named him the "Greatest Rock Star Ever" following his death in 2016.
Artist Website: legacy.davidbowie.com
Featured Albums: David Bowie
Related Artists: Mick Ronson, Brian Eno, Mott The Hoople, Iggy Pop
Collections: Music Visionaries
