Bowie, David
David Bowie
Singer, songwriter
After playing in obscure groups in England during the 1960s—like George and the Dragons and David Jones and the Lower Third—David Jones took the name David Bowie to avoid being confused with Davey Jones, the rising star of the television-based pop group, The Monkees. His first album to be released in the United States, David Bowie: Man of Words/Man of Music, included the 1969 single “Space Oddity,” which brought him a great deal of favorable attention on both sides of the Atlantic. Thus began the career that Bowie would pursue in many different personas, such as those of Ziggy Stardust and Aladdin Sane, through many different types of music, from rock to danceable funk. As Jay Cocks put it in Time magazine, “Musically, … Bowie always seems to know what time it is.” In addition to being a rock trendsetter for two decades, Bowie has made successful appearances as an actor on Broadway and in films.
Born in 1947 in Brixton, a deprived section of London, England, Bowie had a difficult childhood. His parents did not marry until after his birth, his brother was eventually confined to a psychiatric hospital, and Bowie’s teenage fighting in his bad neighborhood led to the paralysis of his left eye, the pupil of which is permanently dilated. He has revealed in various interviews, however, that he noticed music from an early age, and that his parents provided him with the recordings of early American rock pioneers such as Fats Domino and Little Richard. Bowie also learned to play the guitar and the saxophone as a child.
But having varied talents and interests, Bowie was undecided as a young man as to which of the arts he wished to specialize in. He studied commercial art at Bromley Technical High School in London, and left before earning a degree in order to work at an advertising agency, but soon quit because he disliked the work he was doing. He also studied with the Lindsay Kemp Mime Troupe for two and a half years, painted, and acted in small stage roles. At one time Bowie even considered entering a Buddhist monastery.
Meanwhile, he continued playing in rock groups until meeting his future wife, Angela Barnet, who convinced a friend at Mercury Records to listen to Bowie’s music. He followed his successful David Bowie: Man of Words-Man of Music with The Man Who Sold the World, which featured him wearing a dress and makeup on the cover. While this garnered the artist controversial attention and foreshadowed the glitter rock personas soon to come from him, Bowie went back to what most reviewers referred to as his 1960s pop style, reminiscent of singers Bob Dylan and Anthony Newley, for his 1971 recording for RCA, Hunky Dory. The well-received album includes the hit single “Changes,” and
For the Record…
Born David Robert Hay ward Jones, January 8, 1947, in London, England; son of Hayward (a publicist) and Margaret Mary (a movie theater usher; maiden name, Burns) Jones; married Angela Barnet, 1970 (divorced, 1980); children: Joey (name originally Zowie).
Worked in advertising and with the Lindsay Kemp Mime Troupe prior to musical career; performed with various bands during the 1960s, including David Jones and the Buzz, David Jones and the Lower Third, The Kon-rads, and George and the Dragons; solo performer since late 1960s. Actor in motion pictures, 1976—, including “The Man Who Fell to Earth,” “Just a Gigolo,” “The Hunger,” “Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence,” “Labyrinth,” and “Absolute Beginners”; also appeared in theatrical production of “The Elephant Man.”
Addresses: Home —Switzerland. Office –c/o 641 Fifth Ave., #22-Q, New York, NY 10022.
was described by John Mendelsohn in Rolling Stone as Bowie’s “most easily accessible, and thus his most enjoyable work.”
But Bowie did not really become a rock superstar until he released The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars in 1972. On the album, and in related concert appearances, Bowie took on the persona of Ziggy Stardust, an androgynous, space-alien rock star dressed in an outrageous costume, whose music was filled with great power. Ziggy was a story album, and chronicled the Stardust persona’s adventures on earth, ending with his spiritual demise as portrayed in the final song, “Rock’n’Roll Suicide.” As Cocks explained, “When he first hit the stage as Ziggy, decked out in makeup, dye job and psychedelic costume, the rock world was ready. Too much karma, too much good vibes, too much hippy dippy: audiences wanted decadence with a difference. Bowie was there.”
The singer found himself heralded as the king of glitter rock, a movement in the early 1970s that saw rock performers dressing in gaudy and often sexually ambiguous outfits. At about the same time, despite being married to Angela Barnet and having a son, Bowie told an interviewer that he was bisexual. As the first rock star to come out into the open on this subject, he was the object of a great deal of controversy. Later Bowie told Kurt Loder in Rolling Stone: “The biggest mistake I ever made … was telling that… writer that I was bisexual. Christ, I was so young then. I was experimenting.”Bowie went from Ziggy Stardust to Aladdin Sane, made up with a lightning bolt drawn across his face and a painted-on tear drop; to the Thin White Duke, who slicked his hair back and wore white suits. In this last persona he recorded the 1975 Young Americans album, which included his hit duet with the late ex-Beatle John Lennon, “Fame.” As disco music was peaking in popularity, in “Fame” Bowie turned to a funk beat. But he told a Playboy interviewer: “’Fame’ was an incredible bluff that worked,” because “my rhythm and blues are thoroughly plastic.”
During the mid-1970s Bowie staggered under the weight of drug abuse problems. He confided to Loder that he sustained “incredible losses of memory. Whole chunks of my life. I can’t remember, for instance, any—any —of 1975.” He eventually went to Berlin to recover. While he fought to overcome the excesses of his former lifestyle, he still put out albums, including Heroes, Lodger, and Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps). Bowie’s music from this period is noted for its emphasis on electronic sounds.
In 1980 he divorced Angela, retaining custody of his son, named Zowie in Bowie’s glitter days but now called Joey. After signing a deal for five albums with EMI America, Bowie produced 1983’s Let’s Dance. The single of the same name, a danceable tune with a heavy, booming beat, became his biggest seller ever. As he told Loder, Bowie had changed his outlook on life and was now interested in producing positive music. He also broke into the field of music videos, and saw them as a chance to expose people to social issues—hence the video for “Let’s Dance” protests the treatment of Australia’s aboriginal people. Bowie explained to Loder: “I know this is very cliche, but I feel that now that I’m thirty-six years old, and I’ve got a certain position, I want to start utilizing that position to the benefit of my … brotherhood and sisterhood…. I think you can’t keep on being an artist without actually saying anything more than … ‘this is an interesting way of looking at things.’”
In 1976, Bowie made his film debut in “The Man Who Fell to Earth,” the story of a man who comes to Earth in a spaceship looking for water to take back to his own planet, which suffers from drought. He received high praise for his acting ability; Richard Eder in the New York Times lauded Bowie’s performance as “extraordinary.” In 1983 Bowie had a highly praised supporting role as a British prisoner in a Japanese war camp in the film, Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence. The film’s director, Nagisa Oshima, according to Loder, picked Bowie after seeing him perform on Broadway in “The Elephant Man” because he projected “an inner spirit that is indestructible.” Bowie’s other films include “Just a Gigolo,” “The Hunger,” “Labyrinth,” and the musical “Absolute Beginners.”
As of 1987, Bowie still professed a desire to make positive music, but told Loder in another Rolling Stone interview that his album, Never Let Me Down, “sounds so much more … as though the continuity hasn’t been broken from Scary Monsters. It’s almost as though Let’s Dance [was] in the way there.” He also expressed interest in making his own films, and claimed that he and fellow rock superstar friend Mick Jagger were attempting to write a screenplay.
Compositions
Composer of numerous songs, including “All the Young Dudes,” “Changes,” “Fame,” “Golden Years,” “Move On,” “Space Oddity,” “Starman,” “Stay,” “Suffragette City,” “TVC 15,” and “Young Americans.”
Selected discography
David Bowie: Man of Words/Man of Music (includes “Space Oddity”), Mercury, 1969, later reissued as Space Oddity, RCA, 1984.
The Man Who Sold the World (includes “She Shook Me Cold” and “Savior Machine”), Mercury, 1971.
Hunky Dory RCA, 1971.
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars (includes “Ziggy Stardust,” “Starman,” “Moonage Daydream,” “Five Years,” and “Rock’n’Roll Suicide”), RCA, 1972.
Aladdin Sane, RCA, 1973.
Pin Ups, RCA, 1973.
Diamond Dogs, RCA, 1974.
Young Americans RCA, 1975.
Low, RCA, 1977.
Heroes, RCA, 1977.
Lodger, RCA, 1979.
Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps), RCA, 1980.
Let’s Dance (includes “Let’s Dance” and “China Girl”), EMI America, 1983.
Tonight, EMI America, 1984.
Never Let Me Down, EMI America, 1977.
Sources
Books
Cann, Kevin, David Bowie: A Chronology, Simon & Schuster, 1984.
Edwards, Henry, and Tony Zanetta, Stardust: The David Bowie Story, McGraw-Hill, 1986.
Tremelett, George, The David Bowie Story, Warner Books, 1975.
Periodicals
Newsweek, July 18, 1983.
New York Times, May 20, 1976.
Playboy, September, 1976.
Rolling Stone, January 6, 1972; October 4, 1979; May 12, 1983; October 25, 1984; April 23, 1987.
Time, July 18, 1983.
—Elizabeth Thomas
Bowie, David 1947–
Bowie, David 1947–
(Bowie, the Thin White Duke, Davie Jones, Tom Jones, Ziggy Stardust)
PERSONAL
Original name, David Robert Hayward Jones; born January 8, 1947, in Brixton, South London, England; son of Hayward Stenton "John" and Margaret Mary "Peggy" (maiden name, Burns) Jones; married Mary Angela Barnetty (an actress), March 19, 1970 (divorced, 1980); married Iman Abdul Majid (a model and actress; some sources cite name as Iman Abdulmajid), 1992; children: (first marriage) Duncan (also known as Zowie Duncan Haywood and Joe); (second marriage) Alexandria Zahra "Lexi"; stepchildren: Zulekha Haywood. Education: Attended Bromley Technical High School; studied mime with Lindsay Kemp; also studied Buddhism. Avocational Interests: Painting, reading, skiing.
Addresses: Contact—Isolar Enterprises, 641 Fifth Ave., Suite 22Q, New York, NY 10022. Agent—International Creative Management, 8942 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90211. Publicist—Mitch Schneider Organization, 14724 Ventura Blvd., Suite 410, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403.
Career: Singer, songwriter, musician, actor, and producer. Beckenham Arts Lab, London, England, founder and director, beginning c. 1969; War Child (music industry charity), patron, beginning 1994; house 21 (art book publishing house; also known as 21), cofounder, c. 1997; BowieNet (Internet service provider), founder; BowieBanc.com (online banking and financial services), founder; affiliated with Ultrastar Internet Services, beginning c. 1999; affiliated with music companies; the royalties on his back catalogue of music have been traded as a commodity on the stock market. Singer and saxophone player with bands, including the Hooker Brothers, the Kon-Rads, Davie Jones with the King Bees, the Manish Boys, 1964–65, Davy Jones and the Lower Third, 1965–66, the Buzz, Turquoise (mixed media group), Feathers, 1968, Hype, beginning in 1970, the Spiders, c. 1972, Tin Machine, beginning in 1989, and the Tao Jones Index; performer with other bands, including the Riot Squad, Arnold Corns, and Raw Moon; performer with the avant-garde dance troupe La La La Human Steps. Toured the United States with the Spiders, 1972; participated in various tours, including the Station to Station tour, c. 1976, the Idiot tour, 1977, the Serious Moonlight tour, c. 1984, the Glass Spider tour, c. 1987, the Sound and Vision World tour, 1990, the Outside Tour, 1995, (with others) the Area2 tour, c. 2002, and the Reality tour, 2003; and participated in various festivals. Toured as a keyboard player for Iggy Pop, c. 1977. Performed as a mime at concerts. Performed under the name Ziggy Stardust and known as Davie Jones, the Thin White Duke, and Tom Jones. Appeared in television commercials and print advertisements. Art exhibited at various venues and events, including the Florence Biennale, 1996. Affiliated with the arts and the Internet art site BowieArt. Worked as a commercial artist in advertising agency. Worked as a music and art critic. Founder of Insolar Enterprises (management company), New York City. Performer at benefits and affiliated with charitable endeavors, including Live Aid, NetAid, and Video Aid.
Awards, Honors: Ivor Novello Award, special award for originality, British Academy of Composers and Songwriters, 1970, for Space Oddity; "The Jean Genie" named the best single of the year, Melody Maker newspaper, 1973; named the number one composer, male singer, group (with the Spiders from Mars), and producer of the year, all Melody Maker newspaper, 1973; named the number one composer and group (with the Spiders from Mars), and the second best musician and male vocalist, all Sounds magazine, 1973; Aladdin Sane named the best album of the year, Trouser Press magazine, 1973, named the second best album of the year, Melody Maker newspaper, 1973, and named the second best cover design and fourth best album, both Sounds magazine, 1973; Golden Scroll, Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Films, best actor, 1977, for The Man Who Fell to Earth; Grammy Award nomination (with others), best recording for children, National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, 1978, for Peter and the Wolf; Golden Globe Award nomination (with Giorgio Moroder), best original song—motion picture, 1983, and Grammy Award nomination, best male rock vocal, both for the song "Cat People (Putting out Fire)"; Grammy Award nomination, album of the year, 1983, Let's Dance; Ivor Novello Award, international hit of the year, 1984, for "Let's Dance"; Grammy Award, best short-form music video, 1984, for David Bowie; MTV Video Music Award, best male video, 1984, for "China Girl"; Video Vanguard Award, MTV Video Music awards, 1984; BRIT Award, best British male artist, 1984; Grammy Award nominations, best male rock vocal, c. 1985, for "Blue Jean," and best video album, c. 1985, for David Bowie: Serious Moonlight; MTV Video Music Award (with Mick Jagger), best overall performance, 1986, for "Dancing in the Street"; Silver Clef Award for Outstanding Achievement, Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy, 1987; Grammy Award nomination, best concept music video, c. 1988, for "Day In, Day Out"; Ivor Novello Award, outstanding contribution to British music, 1990; Television Award nomination, best original television music, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, 1994, for The Buddha of Suburbia; Inspiration Award (with others), Annual Q awards, 1995; inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 1996; BRIT Award, outstanding contribution to British music, 1996; received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, 1997; David Bowie Day celebrated by MTV and VH1, 1997, and Great Britain's VH1, 2001; Legend Award, The WB Radio Music awards, 1999; honorary doctorate of music, Berklee School of Music, 1999; Bowie's duet with Bing Crosby, "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy" from the television special Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas was named one of the twenty-five best musical television moments of the century, TV Guide, 1999; Bowie named one of the biggest music stars of the century, Sun (Great Britain) and Q magazine, both 1999; named a Chevalier des Arts et Lettres, France, 1999; MTV Movie Award nomination, best cameo, 2002, for Zoolander; the Museum of Television and Radio staged a retrospective of his work, 2002; Daytime Emmy Award (with others), outstanding special class special, 2003, for Hollywood Rocks the Movies: The 1970s; The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars named best album, Trouser Press, 1972, named the most influential album of the 1970s, Melody Maker newspaper, 1985, named as one of the 100 best rock albums of all times by a group of rock critics and broadcasters, 1987, named one of the greatest albums of all time and one of the greatest albums of the 1970s, both New Musical Express, 1993, named one of the greatest albums of the 1970s, Q magazine, 1998, named one of the best albums of the millennium, Channel 4, 1998, named the thirty-fifth greatest album of all time, Rolling Stone, 2003, named one of the thirty greatest concept albums of all time, Classic Rock magazine, 2003, named one of the 1,000 top albums of all time, Zagat Survey Music Guide, 2003, and named one of the twenty-five best albums of the seventies, Circus magazine; platinum, gold, and silver records, Recording Industry Association of America.
CREDITS
Film Appearances:
The Image (short film), 1967.
(Uncredited) Soldier, The Virgin Soldiers, Columbia, 1969.
Himself and Ziggy Stardust, Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (documentary; also known as Bowie '73 with the Spiders from Mars and Ziggy Stardust: The Motion Picture), Thorn EMI, 1973, released in the United States by Twentieth Century-Fox International Classics, c. 1983, released as Ziggy Stardust: The Motion Picture DVD, Virgin, 2003.
Thomas Jerome Newton, The Man Who Fell to Earth, British Lion, 1976.
Paul von Przygodsky, Just a Gigolo (also known as Schoener Gigolo, armer Gigolo and Schoner Gigolo, armer Gigolo), United Artists Classics, 1979.
Himself, Christiane F.—Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo (also known as Christiane F and We Children from Bahnhof Zoo), Constantin Film, 1981, dubbed version released by New World Pictures, 1982.
(Rereleased version) Narrator, The Snowman (animated), [Great Britain], 1982.
Himself, Cool Cats—Twenty-Five Years of Rock 'n' Roll Style (documentary), 1983.
Himself (cabin boy), Group Madness (documentary), Mileham/Craig Image Group, 1983.
John Blaylock, The Hunger, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1983.
Major Jack "Strafer" Celliers, Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (also known as Furyo and Senjou no Merii Kurisumasu), Universal, 1983.
(Uncredited) The Shark, Yellowbeard, Orion, 1983.
Colin Morris, Into the Night, Universal, 1985.
Himself, Inside the Labyrinth (documentary), TriStar, 1986.
Jareth the goblin king, Labyrinth, TriStar, 1986.
Vendice Partners, Absolute Beginners, Orion, 1986.
Himself, Imagine: John Lennon, Warner Bros., 1988.
Pontius Pilate, The Last Temptation of Christ (also known as Passion), Universal, 1988.
Andy Warhol, Superstar: The Life and Times of Andy Warhol, Aries Films, 1990.
Monte, The Linguini Incident, Academy Pictures, 1991.
Himself, Traveling Light (documentary), 1992.
Phillip Jeffries, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (also known as The Last Seven Days of Laura Palmer, Twin Peaks, and Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, Teresa Banks), New Line Cinema, 1992.
Andy Warhol, Basquiat (also known as Build a Fort, Set It on Fire), Miramax, 1996.
Himself, Inspirations (documentary), Clear Blue Sky Productions, 1997.
Jack Sikora, Il mio west (also known as My West), Cecchi Gori, 1998.
Bernie, Everybody Loves Sunshine (also known as B.U.S.T.E.D. and EverybodyLovesSunshine), Lions Gate Films, 1999.
(In archive footage; uncredited) Himself in "Little Wonder" video, Cinema verite: Defining the Moment (documentary), National Film Board of Canada, 1999.
Mr. Rice, Mr. Rice's Secret, Panorama Entertainment/ Horizon Entertainment, 2000.
Himself, Zoolander (also known as Derek Zoolander), Paramount, 2001.
Himself, Mayor of the Sunset Strip (documentary), First Look Pictures Releasing, 2003.
(In archive footage; uncredited) Himself, The Nomi Song (documentary), CV Films, 2004.
(In archive footage) Himself, Superstar in a Housedress (documentary), Films We Like, 2004.
Himself, Scott Walker: 30 Century Man (documentary), Missing in Action Films, 2006.
Voice of Maltazard, Arthur and the Minimoys (animated), EuropaCorp., 2006.
Nikola Tesla, The Prestige, Touchstone, c. 2006.
Film Executive Producer:
Buevoes vadasz (also known as Magic Hunter, Buvos vadasz, Der Freischuetz, and Der Freischutz), Shadow Distribution, 1994.
Mesmer, Overseas Filmgroup, 1994.
Passaggio per il paradiso (also known as Gentle into the Night, Lift to Heaven, Passage to Paradise, and Passage pour le paradis), In Pictures, 1996.
Scott Walker: 30 Century Man (documentary), Missing in Action Films, 2006.
Film Work; Other:
Performer of title song "Cat People (Putting out Fire)," Cat People, Universal, 1982.
Performer, producer, and music mixer of songs that have appeared in films, television productions, stage productions, videos, video games, and commercials.
Television Appearances; Series:
Julian Priest, The Hunger, Showtime, 1999–2000.
Television Appearances; Miniseries:
Himself, Get Up, Stand Up, 2003.
(In archive footage) Himself, 100 Most Shocking Moments in Rock and Roll History, VH1, 2005.
Himself, "Sexual Healing," Sex 'n' Pop (documentary), Arte TV (Germany), 2005.
Television Appearances; Specials:
"The Pistol Shot," Theatre 625 (also known as Theatre 625: The Pistol Shot), BBC, 1968.
Himself, Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas, NBC, 1977.
Dick Clark's Salute to the Seventies, NBC, 1979.
Baal, Bertolt Brecht's "Baal" (also known as Baal), BBC, 1982.
Himself, Portrait de l'artiste en Rock Star, [Belgium], 1982.
David Bowie: Serious Moonlight, HBO, 1984.
Live Aid, various channels, 1985.
Tina Turner: Private Dancer, HBO, 1985.
Himself, Inside the Labyrinth (documentary), 1986.
Bugs Bunny/Looney Tunes All-Star 50th Anniversary, CBS, 1986.
Himself, Rolling Stone Magazine's 20 Years of Rock 'n' Roll (documentary; also known as Rolling Stone: The First Twenty Years, Rolling Stone Magazine's 20th Anniversary Special, and Rolling Stone Presents 20 Years of Rock 'n' Roll), ABC, 1987.
Cissy Houston: Sweet Inspiration (documentary), PBS, 1988.
David Bowie: Glass Spider Tour, ABC, 1988.
Tribute to John Lennon, syndicated, 1990.
Tin Machine Special, [Japan], 1991.
A Concert for Life: A Tribute to Freddie Mercury (also known as A Concert for Life and Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert), Fox and MTV, 1992.
David Bowie: Black Tie White Noise, The Disney Channel, 1993.
The Hits, MTV, 1993.
The Sounds of Summer, ABC, 1993.
Tina Turner: Girl from Nutbush, The Disney Channel, c. 1993.
(In archive footage) Himself, The Best of the Don Lane Show, Nine Network (Australia), 1994.
(In archive footage) Himself, Television's Christmas Classics, CBS, 1994.
Host, George Michael's Concert of Hope, The Disney Channel, 1994.
(In archive footage) Jareth the goblin king, The World of Jim Henson (documentary), PBS, 1994.
Ed Sullivan Presents: Rock 'n' Roll Revolution: The British Invade America (documentary), CBS, 1995.
The White Room New Year's Eve Special, Channel 4 (England), 1995.
Himself, Bowie og Bornedal, DR1 (Denmark), 1996.
Himself, Changes: Bowie at Fifty (documentary), BBC, 1997.
Himself, Children in Need, BBC, 1997.
Himself, David Bowie: An Earthling at 50 (documentary), 1997.
Himself, Rock 'n' Roll Weddings (documentary), VH1, 1997.
David Bowie and Friends—A Very Special Broadway Concert, pay-per-view, 1997.
VH1 Planet Rock Profiles, VH1, 1997.
"Lou Reed: Rock and Roll Heart," American Masters, PBS, 1998.
Himself, Wie man die Leute von ihrem Geld trennt (documentary; also known as The Fine Art of Separating People from Their Money), 1998, Bravo, 1999, broadcast on Arena, BBC, 2000.
"David Bowie Special," Top of the Pops 2, BBC, 1999.
NetAid (also known as NetAid: A Concert Special), TNT, 1999.
The Rankin File: Music, Money and the Web, VH1, 1999.
Saturday Night Live: 25th Anniversary (also known as Saturday Night Live: 25th Anniversary Primetime Special), NBC, 1999.
Himself, Die Zehn Gebote der Kreativitat (also known as The 10 Commandments of Creativity and 10 Gebote), Arte TV (Germany), c. 1999.
(In archive footage) Himself, The Beatles Revolution (documentary), ABC, 2000.
Himself, Bowie at the Beeb (also known as Bowie at the BBC), BBC and BBC America, 2000.
(In archive footage) Himself, Bad Hair Days (documentary), Channel 4, 2001.
Himself, The Concert for New York City, VH1, 2001.
(In archive footage) Himself, The Old Grey Whistle Test at 30 (documentary), BBC, 2001.
(In archive footage) I Love Christmas (documentary), BBC, 2001.
Peter Frampton: Alive Again (documentary), Arts and Entertainment, 2001.
Himself, David Bowie's Millions, BBC, 2002.
Himself, Friday Night with Ross and Bowie, BBC, 2002.
Himself, Hr. Vinterberg & Mr. Bowie (documentary), 2002.
Himself, Live by Request: David Bowie, 2002.
Himself, The Rutles 2: Can't Buy Me Lunch, 2002.
Himself, VH1 Bowie Reveals (also known as Bowie Reveals), VH1, 2002.
Narrator, Hollywood Rocks the Movies: The 1970s (documentary), 2002.
(In archive footage) Himself, Cher: The Farewell Tour, NBC, 2003.
Himself, David Smiling Bowie, TV 2 Danmark, 2003.
(In archive footage) Himself, TV 2003—Aret I ord og billeder, 2003.
Dick Clark's Primetime New Year's Rockin' Eve 2003, ABC, 2003.
Traffic Musique Special, France 2, 2003.
Himself, Bob Geldof: Saint or Singer? (documentary), BBC, 2004.
(In archive footage) Himself, Les 40 ans de la 2, 2004.
Himself, The Ultimate Pop Star, Channel 4, 2004.
(In archive footage) Himself, Boy George's Queerest TV Moments, Channel 4, 2005.
Himself, Comic Relief: Red Nose Night Live 05, BBC, 2005.
Himself, Francoise Hardy—Tant de belles choses (documentary), 2005.
(In archive footage) Himself, TV Pop Rules! (documentary), Channel 4, 2005.
Himself, Whatever Happened to the Gender Benders? (documentary), Channel 4, 2005.
Fashion Rocks for the Prince's Trust (also known as Fashion Rocks), Channel 4, 2005.
Oh, You Pretty Things—Girls and Boys: Sex and British Pop (documentary), BBC-2, 2005.
(In archive footage) Himself, The Greatest: 40 Freakiest Concert Moments (also known as 40 Freakiest Concert Moments), VH1, 2006.
Appeared in other specials, including David Bowie—Tin Machine, [France].
Television Appearances; Awards Presentations:
MTV First Annual Video Music Awards, MTV, 1984.
The International Rock Awards, 1989.
The Second International Rock Awards, 1990.
The BRIT Awards '91 (also known as The British Pop Awards), [Great Britain], 1991.
The BRIT Awards '96 (also known as The British Pop Awards), [Great Britain], 1996.
The VH1 Fashion Awards, VH1, 1996, 2002.
The GQ Men of the Year Awards, VH1, 1997.
The 24th Annual American Music Awards, 1997.
The BRIT Awards 1999 (also known as The British Pop Awards), [Great Britain], 1999.
The 1999 MTV Video Music Awards, MTV, 1999.
The WB Radio Music Awards, The WB, 1999.
Himself, VH1/Vogue Fashion Awards, VH1, 2000.
(In archive footage) Himself, MTV Europe Awards: 10 of the Best Performances, 2003.
Television Appearances; Episodic:
The Beat Room, BBC-2, 1964.
Tonight, BBC, 1964.
Gadzooks! It's All Happening, BBC-2, 1965.
Top of the Pops (also known as All New Top of the Pops and TOTP), BBC, multiple appearances, including 1972, 1973, 1977, 1991, 1997.
"1980 Floor Show," The Midnight Special, NBC, 1973.
Himself, The Dick Cavett Show, NBC, 1974.
Himself, "Cracked Actor" (documentary), Omnibus, BBC, 1975.
Himself, Russell Harty Plus, London Weekend Television, 1975.
Cher, CBS, 1975.
Soul Train, syndicated, 1975.
Dinah!, syndicated, 1976, 1977.
Himself, All You Need Is Love, London Weekend Television, 1977.
Marc, Independent Television, 1977.
Arena Rock, BBC-2, 1978.
Musikladen, [West Germany (now Germany)], 1978.
Northern Lights, Tyne Tees Television, 1978.
Willesee at Seven, [Australia], 1978.
The Kenny Everett Video Show, Thames Television, 1979.
Saturday Night Live (also known as NBC's "Saturday Night," Saturday Night, and SNL), NBC, 1979, 1991, 1997, 1999.
Himself, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, NBC, 1980.
Omnibus, BBC, 1981.
Himself, Filmredaktionen, 1983.
Countdown, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 1983.
The Tube, Channel 4 (England), 1983.
Cinevisie, [the Netherlands], 1983, 1997.
Video Jukebox, 1986.
Jeans, RAI (Italy), 1987.
Top of the Pops, CBS, 1987.
Newsnight, BBC, 1987, 1999.
Notte Rock, [Italy], 1988.
Calendar, Yorkshire Television, 1989.
DEF II, BBC, 1989.
Good Morning Britain (also known as TV-am), Independent Television, 1989.
Just Pop Up, [Japan], 1989.
MTV Post Modern, MTV, 1989.
P.I.T., 3Sat (Germany), 1989.
Ragazzi Report, RTL (Germany), 1989.
Rapido, 1989.
Sir Rowland Moorecock, "The Second Greatest Story Ever Told," Dream On, HBO, 1990, also broadcast on Fox.
In Egne Oyne, [Norway], 1990.
Himself, Eleva2ren, TV2 Danmark, 1991.
ABC in Concert, ABC, 1991.
Cine '91, [France], 1991.
Wogan, BBC, 1991.
X-Large, Oesterreichischer Rundfunk (Austria), 1991.
The Arsenio Hall Show, syndicated, 1991, 1993.
The Music Is the World, [Japan], 1992.
Himself, "Ivory Tower," Full Stretch, 1993.
Late Night with David Letterman, NBC, 1993.
TROS TV Show (also known as De TV show op reis), Tros Televisie (the Netherlands), 1993.
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, NBC, 1993, 1997.
Himself, "The Seventies: Have a Nice Decade," The History of Rock 'n' Roll (documentary; also known as Rock and Roll), PBS, 1995.
(In archive footage) Himself, Rock Party, [Germany], 1995.
Himself, Later with Jools Holland, BBC, 1995, 1999, 2002.
Himself, The Charlie Rose Show, PBS, 1996.
Himself, Puls, TV2 Danmark, 1996.
Lola da musica, VPRO (the Netherlands), 1996.
Nova, [the Netherlands], 1996.
Ozone, [Great Britain], 1996, 2000.
Himself, "David Bowie," Behind the Music (also known as Behind the Music: David Bowie, BtM, and VH1's "Behind the Music"), VH1, 1997.
Himself, "David Bowie," Extreme Close Up, E! Entertainment Television, 1997.
The Jack Docherty Show (also known as Not the Jack Docherty Show), Channel 5 (England), 1997.
Musikmagasinet, ZTV (Sweden), 1997.
Nachtkastje, [the Netherlands], 1997.
No Regrets, [the Netherlands], 1997.
Show Time, [the Netherlands], 1997.
Wetten, das …?, Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen, 1997.
Himself, The Rosie O'Donnell Show, syndicated, 1997, 1999.
Himself, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, NBC, 1997, 1999, 2002.
Himself, The Late Show with David Letterman (also known as The Late Show), CBS, 1997, 2003.
Himself, Howard Stern, E! Entertainment Television, 1998.
Himself, Intimate Portrait: Iman, Lifetime, 1999.
Himself, The Priory (also known as Right about Now), Channel 4, 1999.
Himself, 20 heures le journal, 1999.
The Big Breakfast, Channel 4, 1999.
Express, Mediaset1, 1999.
Francamente me ne infischio, RAI, 1999.
In Wien, Oesterreichischer Rundfunk, 1999.
Jam, Viva TV (Germany), 1999.
Leute Heute, Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen, 1999.
Musikbutikken, DR1 (Denmark), 1999.
Musikbyzan with Lene Johannsen, DR1, 1999.
Musique Plus, Much More Music (Canada), 1999.
Nulle part ailleurs, Canal +, 1999.
Omlidt, DR1, 1999.
Quelli che il calcio, RAI Due (Italy), 1999.
Seitenblicke, Oesterreichischer Rundfunk 2 (Austria), 1999.
Showbiz Today, Cable News Network, 1999.
Taff, Pro 7 (Germany), 1999.
Treffpunkt kulture, Oesterreichischer Rundfunk 2, 1999.
VH1 Storytellers (also known as Storytellers), VH1, 1999.
Wien Heute, [Austria], 1999.
Himself, TFI Friday (also known as Thank Four It's Friday), Channel 4, 1999, 2000.
Himself, "Dr. Bowie and Mr. Jones" (documentary), Music Planet, Arte TV (Germany), 2000.
Himself, Musikbutikken, 2000.
Himself, "David Bowie," Biography (also known as A & E Biography: David Bowie), Arts and Entertainment, c. 2002.
Himself, "The Story of David Bowie," The Amp, Much More Music, 2002.
Himself, Nosolomusica, 2002.
Aspekte, Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen, 2002.
BingoLotto, TV 4 (Sweden), 2002.
Fast Forward, Viva TV, 2002.
Kurzschluss, Arte TV, 2002.
MTV Spin, MTV Germany, 2002.
Music Planet, Arte TV, 2002.
Himself, Die Harald Schmidt Show, [Germany], 2002, 2003.
Himself, Parkinson, BBC, 2002, 2003.
Today (also known as NBC News Today and The Today Show), NBC, 2002, 2003.
Himself, Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, BBC, 2003.
Acoustic 2003, TV 5 (France), 2003.
Last Call with Carson Daly, NBC, 2003.
Morgenmagazin, Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen, 2003.
Himself, Rove Live, Ten Network (Australia), 2003, 2004.
Himself, Ellen: The Ellen DeGeneres Show (also known as Ellen and The Ellen DeGeneres Show), syndicated, 2004.
Himself, Good Morning Australia, Ten Network, 2004.
Channel 9 Today Show, Nine Network (Australia), 2004.
9AD Morning, [Australia], 2004.
Sunrise, Seven Network (Australia), 2004.
(Archive footage) Himself, 80s, TV3 (Televisio de Catalunya), 2005.
Appeared in other programs, including The Don Lane Show, Nine Network; HBO Behind the Scenes, HBO; Live from the 10 Spot, MTV; and The Old Grey Whistle Test (also known as OGWT and Whistle Test), BBC-2.
Appeared in news broadcasts in several countries as well as in footage broadcast on music channels. Also appeared in footage broadcast on the Internet.
Television Work; Specials:
Art director, David Bowie: Serious Moonlight, HBO, 1984.
Stage producer and stage designer, David Bowie and Friends—A Very Special Broadway Concert, pay-per-view, 1997.
Stage Appearances:
Pierrot in Turquoise (mime production), Oxford, England, 1967.
John Merrick (title role), The Elephant Man, American National Theatre and Academy, Booth Theatre, New York City, 1980–81.
David Bowie: A Birthday Celebration, Madison Square Garden, New York City, 1997.
David Bowie and Friends—A Very Special Broadway Concert, New York City, 1997.
Stage Work:
Stage producer and stage designer, David Bowie and Friends—A Very Special Broadway Concert, New York City, 1997.
Radio Appearances; Specials:
The David Bowie Story, BBC Radio One, 1976.
Radio Appearances; Episodic:
The John Peel Sessions, BBC Radio One, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1971, two sessions in 1972.
The Mark Goodier Evening Show, 1991.
Himself, The Howard Stern Radio Show, 1998.
RECORDINGS
Albums; as Performer and Producer:
Feelin' Good, Prestige, 1965.
Out of Sight, Prestige, 1965.
David Bowie—1966, Atlantic, 1966.
David Bowie, Deram, 1967.
The World of David Bowie, 1967.
Space Oddity, Rykodisc, 1969, released as Man of Words, Man of Music (also known as David Bowie), Mercury, 1969, released with bonus tracks, 1998.
The Man Who Sold the World, Rykodisc, 1970, released with bonus tracks, 1990.
Hunky Dory, Rykodisc, 1971, released with bonus tracks, 1990.
In Person, 1972.
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (also known as Ziggy Stardust), Rykodisc, 1972, released with bonus tracks, 1990.
Aladdin Sane, Rykodisc, 1973.
My Radio Sweetheart, 1973.
Pin Ups, Rykodisc, 1973, released with bonus tracks, 1990.
Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (also known as Bowie '73 with the Spiders from Mars and Ziggy Stardust: The Motion Picture), c. 1973, Rykodisc, c. 1983.
David Live, Rykodisc, 1974.
Diamond Dogs, Rykodisc, 1974, released with bonus tracks, 1990.
Young Americans, Rykodisc, 1975, released with bonus tracks, 1991.
David Bowie Special, 1976.
Resurrection on 84th Street, 1976.
Station to Station, Rykodisc, 1976, released with bonus tracks, 1990.
Starting Point (also known as London Collector: Starting Point), London, 1977.
(With Brian Eno) Heroes, Rykodisc, 1977, released with bonus tracks, 1999.
(With Eno) Low, Rykodisc, 1977, released with bonus tracks, 1999.
Bowie Now, RCA, 1978.
Evening with David Bowie, RCA, 1978.
Kiss You in the Rain, 1978.
Stage, Rykodisc, 1978.
Lodger, Rykodisc, 1978, released with bonus tracks, 1991.
Live in Stockholm '79, 1979.
1980 All Clear, RCA, 1979.
Profile, 1980.
Special Radio Series, Vol. 1: Scary Monsters Interview Album, 1980.
Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) (also known as Scary Monsters), Rykodisc, 1980, released with bonus tracks, 1992.
Another Face, Decca, 1981.
Don't Be Fooled by the Name, PRT, 1981.
Let's Talk, 1983.
A Second Face, Decca, 1983.
Let's Dance, Virgin, 1983, released with bonus tracks, 1999.
Portrait of a Star, RCA, 1984.
Wild Is the Wind, RCA, 1984.
Tonight, Capitol, 1984, released with bonus tracks, 1990.
Day In, Day Out, EMI, 1987.
Never Let Me Down, EMI, 1987.
Never Let Me Down: The Interview, EMI/Atlantic, 1987.
Spider Tour Conversation, 1987.
Time Will Crawl, EMI America, 1987.
Conversation, 1988.
1966, Castle, 1988.
Paris Bye Ta-Ta (bootleg recording), 1990.
Tech Unit, Rykodisc, 1991.
Black Tie White Noise, Virgin, 1993.
Black Tie White Noise (EP), Savage, 1993.
The Gospel according to David Bowie, 1993.
The Buddha of Suburbia (soundtrack), Virgin, 1995.
Outside, RCA, 1995.
Santa Monica '72, Golden Years, 1995.
Earthling, Virgin, 1997.
hours …, Virgin, 1999.
Bowie at the Beeb (soundtrack; also known as Bowie at the BBC), Virgin, 2000.
All Saints: Collected Instrumentals (also known as All Saints), Virgin, 2001.
Heathen, ISO/Columbia, 2002.
Slip Away, 2002.
Reality, ISO/Columbia, 2003.
Serious Moonlight: Live, Rajon, 2005.
Performer and producer for other records, including Beginnings, Beginnings, Vol. 2, Divine Symmetry, London-Amsterdam-Stockholm-New York-Sydney, Radio Hype, and A Taste of Bowie at the BBC.
Albums; Compilations; as Performer and Producer:
Images: 1966–67, London, 1973.
Changesonebowie, RCA, 1976.
Golden Double, RCA, 1979.
The Best of David Bowie, K-Tel, 1980.
Changestwobowie, RCA, 1981.
Changes Three (bootleg recording), 1983.
Golden Years, RCA, 1983.
Rare, 1983.
Fame and Fashion: All-Time Greatest Hits (also known as Fame & Fashion), RCA, 1984.
The Collection, Castle, 1985.
1966, DCC Compact Classics, 1988.
The '69 Tapes, BMG International, 1989.
Sound + Vision (box set), Rykodisc, 1989.
Sound + Vision: The CD Press Release, 1989.
Sound + Vision Plus, 1989.
ChangesBowie, Rykodisc, 1990.
Rock Reflections, Deram, 1990.
Bowie Tech Pack, Rykodisc, 1991.
Early On (1964–1966), Rhino, 1991.
Tech Unit, Rykodisc, 1991.
Singles Collection, Vol. 1, Alex, 1993.
Singles Collection, Vol. 2, Alex, 1993.
The Singles: 1969–1993, Featuring His Greatest Hits (also known as The Singles: 1969–1993), Rykodisc, 1993.
Singles Collection, Alex, 1994.
Rarest One Bowie, 1995.
Alternative Biography, Alter Ego, 1997.
The Best of David Bowie: 1969–1974, Virgin/Capitol, 1997.
The Deram Anthology, 1966–1968, Deram, 1997.
The Forgotten Songs of David Robert Jones, SPQR, 1997.
Nite Life, 1997.
The Best of David Bowie: 1974–1979, Virgin, 1998.
Boy Could He Play Guitar, 1998.
I Dig Everything: 1966 Pye Singles, Castle Communications, 1999.
Bowie at the Beeb: The Best of the BBC Radio Sessions, Virgin, 2000.
London Boy, PolyGram International, 2001.
Maximum Bowie, 2001.
Rarest Live, MF, 2001.
Best of Bowie, Virgin, 2002.
Club Bowie: Rare & Unreleased 12" Mixes, Virgin, 2003.
The Collection, EMI, 2005.
Inside Bowie and the Spiders 1972–1974: The Definitive Critical Review, Classic Rock Legends, 2005.
The Platinum Collection, EMI, 2006.
Appeared in other compilations.
Albums with Tin Machine; as Performer and Producer:
Tin Machine, Virgin, 1989.
Oy Vey, Baby (also known as Tin Machine: Oy Vey, Baby), Victory, 1991.
Tin Machine II, Victory, 1991.
Albums with Others; as Performer and Producer:
Lou Reed, Transformer, RCA, 1972.
Mott the Hoople, All the Young Dudes, Columbia, 1972.
Mott the Hoople, Greatest Hits, Columbia, 1975.
Iggy Pop, The Idiot, Virgin, 1977.
Iggy Pop, Lust for Life, RCA Victor, 1977.
Lou Reed, Walk on the Wild Side: The Best of Lou Reed, RCA, 1977.
Iggy Pop, TV Eye, RCA, 1978.
(As narrator; performer only) London Philharmonic, Peter and the Wolf (also known as Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf"), Rykodisc, 1978.
Ian Hunter, Shades of Ian Hunter and Mott the Hoople, Columbia, 1979.
Ian Hunter, You're Never Alone with a Schizophrenic, Razor and Tie, 1979.
College Radio Series, Volume 1, 1980.
Giorgio Moroder, Cat People (original soundtrack), MCA, 1982.
Queen, Hot Space, Elektra, 1982.
Bertolt Brecht's "Baal" (soundtrack; also known as Baal), RCA, 1982.
Christiane F.—Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo (soundtrack; also known as Christiane F.—Wir Kinder), RCA, 1982.
Iggy Pop, Choice Cuts, RCA, 1984.
Iggy Pop, Blah Blah Blah, A & M Records, 1986.
Lou Reed, Between Thought and Expression, RCA, 1992.
Mott the Hoople, Ballad of Mott: A Retrospective, Columbia, 1993.
Brian Eno, Eno Box I, Virgin, 1994.
Lulu, From Crayons to Perfume: The Best of Lulu, Rhino, 1994.
Mick Ronson, Heaven & Hull, Epic, 1994.
Christiane F./Baal/Rarities, 1995.
Lou Reed, Different Times: Lou Reed in the 70s, RCA, 1996.
Various artists, Warchild Hope (charity album), Wea, 2003.
Kashmir, No Balance Palace, BMG, c. 2005.
Appeared in other albums and soundtrack albums. Producer of songs that have appeared in other albums and soundtrack albums.
Singles; as Performer and Producer:
(As Davie Jones with the King Bees) "Liza Jane"/"Louie Louie Go Home," Vocalion Pop, 1964.
"I Pity the Fool," Parlophone, 1965.
"Can't Help Thinking about Me," Warner Bros., 1966.
"Do Anything You Say," 1966.
"I Dig Everything," Pye, 1966.
"Rubber Band," 1966.
"Let Me Sleep beside You," 1967.
"Love You till Tuesday," 1967.
"The Laughing Gnome," 1967, also released in 1973.
"Space Oddity," Philips, 1969, also released other times.
"Memory of a Free Festival," 1970.
"The Prettiest Star," 1970.
"Holy Holy," 1971.
"Changes," Rykodisc, 1972.
"The Jean Genie," 1972.
"John, I'm Only Dancing," 1972.
"Starman," 1972.
"Drive-In Saturday," 1973.
"Life on Mars?," RCA, 1973.
"Sorrow," 1973.
"Ziggy Stardust," 1973.
"Diamond Dogs," 1974.
"Knock on Wood," 1974.
"Rebel Rebel," 1974.
"Rock 'n' Roll Suicide," 1974.
"Fame," 1975.
"Young Americans," 1975.
"Golden Years," 1975, released in the United States in 1976.
"TVC15," 1976.
"Be My Wife," 1977.
"Heroes," 1977.
"Sound and Vision," 1977.
(With Bing Crosby) "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy," Oglio, 1977, also released c. 1982.
"Beauty and the Beast," 1978.
"Boys Keep Swinging," 1979.
"DJ," 1979.
"John, I'm Only Dancing (Again)"/"John, I'm Only Dancing," 1979.
"Look Back in Anger," 1979.
"Alabama Song," 1980.
"Ashes to Ashes," 1980.
"Fashion," 1980.
"Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)," 1981.
"Up the Hill Backwards," 1981.
"Wild Is the Wind," 1981.
(With Queen) "Under Pressure," 1981, released in the United States in 1982, also released other times.
"Baal's Hymn," 1982.
"Cat People (Putting Out Fire)," 1982.
"The Drowned Girl," 1982.
"Changes" (live version), 1983.
"China Girl," Capitol, 1983.
"Let's Dance," 1983.
"Modern Love," 1983.
"White Light, White Heat," 1983.
"Blue Jean" (first version), 1984.
"Blue Jean" (live second version), 1984.
(With Mick Jagger) "Dancing in the Street," 1985.
"Loving the Alien," 1985.
(With the Pat Metheny Group) "This Is Not America," 1985.
"Absolute Beginners," 1986.
"Underground," 1986.
"When the Wind Blows," 1986.
"Never Let Me Down," 1987.
"Time Will Crawl," 1987.
"Day In, Day Out," 1987, also released in 1989.
(With Tina Turner) "Tonight," 1988.
"Under the God," 1989.
"Fame '90" (also known as "Fame 1990"), 1990.
"Growin' Up," 1990.
(With Adrian Belew) "Pretty Pink Rose," Atlantic, 1990.
"Baby Universal," 1991.
"Sound + Vision," Tommy Boy, 1991.
"You Belong in Rock 'n' Roll," 1991.
"Real Cool World," Warner Bros., 1992.
"As the World Falls Down," 1993.
(With Al B Sure!) "Black Tie White Noise," 1993.
"Buddha of Suburbia" (featuring Lenny Kravitz), 1993.
"Jump, They Say" (three parts), Savage, 1993.
"Miracle Goodnight," Arista, 1993.
(With Queen and Annie Lennox) "Under Pressure," 1993.
"The Heart's Filthy Lesson," Virgin, 1995.
"Strangers When We Meet"/"The Man Who Sold the World" (live version), 1995.
"Ziggy Stardust," 1995.
"Hallo Spaceboy," RCA/BMG, 1996.
"Telling Lies," RCA, 1996.
"Dead Man Walking," RCA, 1997.
"I Can't Read," ZYX, 1997.
(With Trent Reznor) "I'm Afraid of Americans," Virgin, 1997.
"Little Wonder" (two parts), BMG, 1997.
(With others) "A Perfect Day" (charity single), 1997.
"Seven Years in Tibet," 1997.
"The Pretty Things Are Going to Hell," EMI, 1999.
"Thursday's Child" (two parts), EMI, 1999.
(With Queen) "Under Pressure," 1999.
"Seven" (multiple parts), 2000.
"Survive" (two parts), 2000.
"Life on Mars"/"The Man Who Sold the World," EMI, 2001.
"Everyone Says 'Hi'" (multiple parts), Sony International, 2002.
"I've Been Waiting for You," EMI, 2002.
"Slow Burn," Sony International, 2002.
(As Bowie; with David Guetta) "Just for One Day," 2003.
"New Killer Star," Sony International, 2003.
Other singles include a version of "Heroes" with Mick Ronson and Queen. Recorded songs in other languages, including German; Bowie's songs have been recorded by others. Vanilla Ice's 1990 single "Ice Ice Baby" includes samples of "Under Pressure."
Music Videos:
"Let Me Sleep beside You," 1967.
"Love You till Tuesday," 1967.
"Space Oddity," 1969.
"The Jean Genie," 1972.
"John, I'm Only Dancing," 1972.
"Life on Mars?," 1973.
"Space Oddity" (second version), 1973.
"Ziggy Stardust" (first version), 1973.
"Rock 'n' Roll Suicide," 1974.
"Be My Wife," 1977.
"Heroes" (first version), 1977.
(With Bing Crosby) "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy," 1977.
"Boys Keep Swinging," 1979.
"DJ," 1979.
"Look Back in Anger," 1979.
"Ashes to Ashes," 1980.
"Fashion," 1980.
(With Queen) "Under Pressure," 1981.
"Wild Is the Wind," 1981.
"Cat People (Putting Out Fire)," 1982.
"The Drowned Girl," 1982.
"Changes" (live version), 1983.
"China Girl," 1983.
"Let's Dance," 1983.
"Modern Love," 1983.
"White Light, White Heat," 1983.
"Blue Jean" (first version), 1984.
"Blue Jean" (live second version), 1984.
(With Mick Jagger) "Dancing in the Street," 1985.
"Loving the Alien," 1985.
(With the Pat Metheny Group) "This Is Not America," 1985.
"Absolute Beginners," 1986.
"When the Wind Blows," 1986.
"Day In, Day Out," 1987.
"Never Let Me Down," 1987.
"Time Will Crawl," 1987.
(With Tina Turner) "Tonight," 1988.
"Heaven's in Here," 1989.
"Fame '90" (also known as "Fame 1990"), 1990.
(With Adrian Belew) "Pretty Pink Rose," 1990.
"Real Cool World," 1992.
"As the World Falls Down," 1993.
(With Al B Sure!) "Black Tie White Noise," 1993.
"Jump, They Say," 1993.
"Miracle Goodnight," 1993.
(With Queen and Annie Lennox) "Under Pressure," 1993.
"Buddha of Suburbia" (featuring Lenny Kravitz), c. 1994.
"Ziggy Stardust" (second version), 1994.
"The Heart's Filthy Lesson," 1995.
"Strangers When We Meet," 1995.
"Hallo Spaceboy," 1996.
"Under Pressure" (live version), 1996.
"Dead Man Walking," 1997.
"I Can't Read," 1997.
(With Trent Reznor) "I'm Afraid of Americans," 1997.
"Little Wonder," 1997.
"Seven Years in Tibet," 1997.
"Thursday's Child," 1999.
(With Queen) "Under Pressure," 1999.
"The Pretty Things Are Going to Hell," c. 2000.
"Survive" (first version), 2000.
"Survive" (live second version), 2000.
"Everyone Says 'Hi'" (live version), 2002.
"Slow Burn," 2002.
(As Bowie; with David Guetta) "Just for One Day," 2003.
"New Killer Star," 2003.
Other music videos include a version of "Heroes" with Mick Ronson and Queen.
Videos:
Love You till Tuesday (also known as David Bowie (Love You till Tuesday)), c. 1969, PolyGram, 1984.
Ashes to Ashes, 1980.
Ziggy Stardust, Rykodisc, 1982.
China Girl Video 45, c. 1983.
David Bowie: Serious Moonlight (also known as Serious Moonlight), Music Media, c. 1983.
Vic and Screaming Lord Byron, Jazzin' for Blue Jean, Pioneer, 1984.
David Bowie, Sony/Picture Music, 1984.
Ricochet, c. 1985.
Day In, Day Out, Picture Music International/Sony, c. 1987.
Glass Spider, Volumes 1 and 2, Baker & Taylor Video, 1988.
Himself, The Magic Years, Volume 1: The Foundations (documentary), Movies Unlimited, 1989.
Himself, The Magic Years, Volume 2: Live Killers in the Making (documentary), Movies Unlimited, 1989.
Himself, The Magic Years, Volume 3: Crowded in Glory (documentary), Movies Unlimited, 1989.
Bowie: The Video Collection, Picture Music International, 1993.
Interview Picture Disc, Baktabak, 1993.
David Bowie: Black Tie White Noise (also known as Black Tie White Noise), BMG Video, c. 1993.
Bowie: Ziggy Stardust, Weaver-Finch, 1995.
Santa Monica Live, 1972, Limited Edition (with book), Griffin McKay, 1995.
David Bowie: Video Collection, Rykodisc, 1996.
(Uncredited) Himself, Closure (documentary; also known as Halo 12 and Nine Inch Nails: Closure), Acme Filmworks/Nothing Records, 1997.
(In archive footage) A Bing Crosby Christmas, 1998.
Himself, Tina Turner: Celebrate Live 1999 (also known as Happy Birthday Tina!), 1999.
(In archive footage) Cher: Live in Concert, 1999.
Himself, Breaking the Silence: The Making of "Hannibal" (documentary), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Home Entertainment, 2001.
Glass Spider Tour, 2001.
(In archive footage) The Best of Bowie, Virgin/Ventura Distribution, 2002.
Himself, Reality, Sony Music, 2003.
Himself, David Bowie: A Reality Tour (concert documentary; also known as A Reality Tour), Sony Music, 2004.
Critical Review 1969–1972, Classic Rock Legends, 2004.
Origins of a Starman, Music Video Distributors, 2004.
Himself, "Jump, They Say," The Work of Director Mark Romanek (documentary), Palm Pictures, 2005.
Critical Review, Vol. 2—1972–74, Classic Rock Legends, 2005.
Inside Bowie and the Spiders 1969–1974, Classic Rock Legends, 2005.
Rock Review, Classic Rock Legends, 2005.
TV Party, BrinkDVD, 2005.
Appeared in other videos.
Video Work:
Sound mixer, Glass Spider, Volumes 1 and 2, Baker & Taylor Video, 1988.
Director, Bowie: The Video Collection, Picture Music International, 1993.
Director of "Ashes to Ashes" and "Loving the Alien," Best of Bowie, Virgin/Ventura Distribution, 2002.
Video Games:
Boz, Omikron: The Nomad Soul, Eidos Interactive/Quantic Dream, 1999.
Computer Software:
Bowie: Jump Interactive, Ion, 1996.
WRITINGS
Film Music; Songs:
Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (documentary; also known as Bowie '73 with the Spiders from Mars and Ziggy Stardust: The Motion Picture), Thorn EMI, 1973, released in the United States by Twentieth Century-Fox International Classics, c. 1983, released as Ziggy Stardust: The Motion Picture DVD, Virgin, 2003.
Christiane F.—Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo (also known as Christiane F and We Children from Bahnhof Zoo), Constantin Film, 1981, dubbed version released by New World Pictures, 1982.
Title song "Cat People (Putting out Fire)," Cat People, Universal, 1982.
Bowie's songs have been featured in films, television productions, stage productions, videos, video games, the albums of others, and commercials.
Television Music:
Bertolt Brecht's "Baal" (special; also known as Baal), BBC, 1982.
Music and title song, The Buddha of Suburbia (miniseries), BBC-2, 1993.
Albums:
Feelin' Good, Prestige, 1965.
Out of Sight, Prestige, 1965.
David Bowie—1966, Atlantic, 1966.
David Bowie, Deram, 1967.
The World of David Bowie, 1967.
Space Oddity, Rykodisc, 1969, released in the United States as Man of Words, Man of Music (also known as David Bowie), Mercury, 1969, released with bonus tracks, 1998.
The Man Who Sold the World, Rykodisc, 1970, released with bonus tracks, 1990.
Hunky Dory, Rykodisc, 1971, released with bonus tracks, 1990.
In Person, 1972.
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (also known as Ziggy Stardust), Rykodisc, 1972, released with bonus tracks, 1990.
Aladdin Sane, Rykodisc, 1973.
My Radio Sweetheart, 1973.
Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (also known as Bowie '73 with the Spiders from Mars and Ziggy Stardust: The Motion Picture), c. 1973, Rykodisc, c. 1983.
David Live, Rykodisc, 1974.
Diamond Dogs, Rykodisc, 1974, released with bonus tracks, 1990.
Young Americans, Rykodisc, 1975, released with bonus tracks, 1991.
David Bowie Special, 1976.
Resurrection on 84th Street, 1976.
Station to Station, Rykodisc, 1976, released with bonus tracks, 1990.
Starting Point (also known as London Collector: Starting Point), London, 1977.
(With Brian Eno) Heroes, Rykodisc, 1977, released with bonus tracks, 1999.
(With Eno) Low, Rykodisc, 1977, released with bonus tracks, 1999.
Bowie Now, RCA, 1978.
Evening with David Bowie, RCA, 1978.
Kiss You in the Rain, 1978.
Stage, Rykodisc, 1978.
Lodger, Rykodisc, 1978, released with bonus tracks, 1991.
Live in Stockholm '79, 1979.
1980 All Clear, RCA, 1979.
Profile, 1980.
Special Radio Series, Vol. 1: Scary Monsters Interview Album, 1980.
Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) (also known as Scary Monsters), Rykodisc, 1980, released with bonus tracks, 1992.
Another Face, Decca, 1981.
Don't Be Fooled by the Name, PRT, 1981.
Let's Talk, 1983.
A Second Face, Decca, 1983.
Let's Dance, Virgin, 1983, released with bonus tracks, 1999.
Portrait of a Star, RCA, 1984.
Wild Is the Wind, RCA, 1984.
Tonight, Capitol, 1984, released with bonus tracks, 1990.
Day In, Day Out, EMI, 1987.
Never Let Me Down, EMI, 1987.
Never Let Me Down: The Interview, EMI/Atlantic, 1987.
Spider Tour Conversation, 1987.
Time Will Crawl, EMI America, 1987.
Conversation, 1988.
1966, Castle, 1988.
Paris Bye Ta-Ta (bootleg recording), 1990.
Tech Unit, Rykodisc, 1991.
Black Tie White Noise, Virgin, 1993.
Black Tie White Noise (EP), Savage, 1993.
The Gospel according to David Bowie, 1993.
The Buddha of Suburbia (soundtrack), Virgin, 1995.
Outside, RCA, 1995.
Santa Monica '72, Golden Years, 1995.
Earthling, Virgin, 1997.
hours …, Virgin, 1999.
Bowie at the Beeb (soundtrack; also known as Bowie at the BBC), Virgin, 2000.
All Saints: Collected Instrumentals (also known as All Saints), Virgin, 2001.
Heathen, ISO/Columbia, 2002.
Slip Away, 2002.
Reality, ISO/Columbia, 2003.
Serious Moonlight: Live, Rajon, 2005.
Recorded other records, including Beginnings, Beginnings, Vol. 2, Divine Symmetry, London-Amsterdam-Stockholm-New York-Sydney, Radio Hype, and A Taste of Bowie at the BBC.
Albums; Compilations:
Images: 1966–67, London, 1973.
Changesonebowie, RCA, 1976.
Golden Double, RCA, 1979.
The Best of David Bowie, K-Tel, 1980.
Changestwobowie, RCA, 1981.
Changes Three (bootleg recording), 1983.
Golden Years, RCA, 1983.
Rare, 1983.
Fame and Fashion: All-Time Greatest Hits (also known as Fame & Fashion), RCA, 1984.
The Collection, Castle, 1985.
1966, DCC Compact Classics, 1988.
The '69 Tapes, BMG International, 1989.
Sound + Vision (box set), Rykodisc, 1989.
Sound + Vision: The CD Press Release, 1989.
Sound + Vision Plus, 1989.
ChangesBowie, Rykodisc, 1990.
Rock Reflections, Deram, 1990.
Bowie Tech Pack, Rykodisc, 1991.
Early On (1964–1966), Rhino, 1991.
Tech Unit, Rykodisc, 1991.
Singles Collection, Vol. 1, Alex, 1993.
Singles Collection, Vol. 2, Alex, 1993.
The Singles: 1969–1993, Featuring His Greatest Hits (also known as The Singles: 1969–1993), Rykodisc, 1993.
Singles Collection, Alex, 1994.
Rarest One Bowie, 1995.
Alternative Biography, Alter Ego, 1997.
The Best of David Bowie: 1969–1974, Virgin/Capitol, 1997.
The Deram Anthology, 1966–1968, Deram, 1997.
The Forgotten Songs of David Robert Jones, SPQR, 1997.
Nite Life, 1997.
The Best of David Bowie: 1974–1979, Virgin, 1998.
Boy Could He Play Guitar, 1998.
I Dig Everything: 1966 Pye Singles, Castle Communications, 1999.
Bowie at the Beeb: The Best of the BBC Radio Sessions, Virgin, 2000.
London Boy, PolyGram International, 2001.
Maximum Bowie, 2001.
Rarest Live, MF, 2001.
Best of Bowie, Virgin, 2002.
Club Bowie: Rare & Unreleased 12" Mixes, Virgin, 2003.
The Collection, EMI, 2005.
Inside Bowie and the Spiders 1972–1974: The Definitive Critical Review, Classic Rock Legends, 2005.
The Platinum Collection, EMI, 2006.
Appeared in other compilations.
Albums with Tin Machine:
Tin Machine, Virgin, 1989.
Oy Vey, Baby (also known as Tin Machine: Oy Vey, Baby), Victory, 1991.
Tin Machine II, Victory, 1991.
Singles:
(As Davie Jones with the King Bees) "Liza Jane"/"Louie Louie Go Home," Vocalion Pop, 1964.
"I Pity the Fool," Parlophone, 1965.
"Can't Help Thinking about Me," Warner Bros., 1966.
"Do Anything You Say," 1966.
"I Dig Everything," Pye, 1966.
"Rubber Band," 1966.
"Let Me Sleep beside You," 1967.
"Love You till Tuesday," 1967.
"The Laughing Gnome," 1967, also released in 1973.
"Space Oddity," Philips, 1969, also released other times.
"Memory of a Free Festival," 1970.
"The Prettiest Star," 1970.
"Holy Holy," 1971.
"Changes," Rykodisc, 1972.
"The Jean Genie," 1972.
"John, I'm Only Dancing," 1972.
"Starman," 1972.
"Drive-In Saturday," 1973.
"Life on Mars?," RCA, 1973.
"Sorrow," 1973.
"Ziggy Stardust," 1973.
"Diamond Dogs," 1974.
"Knock on Wood," 1974.
"Rebel Rebel," 1974.
"Rock 'n' Roll Suicide," 1974.
(With John Lennon and Carlos Alomar) "Fame," 1975.
"Young Americans," 1975.
"Golden Years," 1975, released in the United States in 1976.
"TVC15," 1976.
"Be My Wife," 1977.
"Heroes," 1977.
"Sound and Vision," 1977.
(With Bing Crosby) "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy," Oglio, 1977, also released c. 1982.
"Beauty and the Beast," 1978.
"Boys Keep Swinging," 1979.
"DJ," 1979.
"John, I'm Only Dancing (Again)"/"John, I'm Only Dancing," 1979.
"Look Back in Anger," 1979.
"Alabama Song," 1980.
"Ashes to Ashes," 1980.
"Fashion," 1980.
"Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)," 1981.
"Up the Hill Backwards," 1981.
"Wild Is the Wind," 1981.
(With Queen) "Under Pressure," 1981, released in the United States in 1982, also released other times.
"Baal's Hymn," 1982.
"Cat People (Putting Out Fire)," 1982.
"The Drowned Girl," 1982.
"Changes" (live version), 1983.
"China Girl," Capitol, 1983.
"Let's Dance," 1983.
"Modern Love," 1983.
"White Light, White Heat," 1983.
"Blue Jean" (first version), 1984.
"Blue Jean" (live second version), 1984.
"Loving the Alien," 1985.
(With the Pat Metheny Group) "This Is Not America," 1985.
"Absolute Beginners," 1986.
"Underground," 1986.
"When the Wind Blows," 1986.
"Never Let Me Down," 1987.
"Time Will Crawl," 1987.
"Day In, Day Out," 1987, also released in 1989.
(With Tina Turner) "Tonight," 1988.
"Under the God," 1989.
(With John Lennon and Carlos Alomar) "Fame '90" (also known as "Fame 1990"), 1990.
"Growin' Up," 1990.
(With Adrian Belew) "Pretty Pink Rose," Atlantic, 1990.
"Baby Universal," 1991.
"Sound + Vision," Tommy Boy, 1991.
"You Belong in Rock 'n' Roll," 1991.
"Real Cool World," Warner Bros., 1992.
"As the World Falls Down," 1993.
(With Al B Sure!) "Black Tie White Noise," 1993.
"Buddha of Suburbia" (featuring Lenny Kravitz), 1993.
"Jump, They Say" (three parts), Savage, 1993.
"Miracle Goodnight," Arista, 1993.
(With Queen and Annie Lennox) "Under Pressure," 1993.
"The Heart's Filthy Lesson," Virgin, 1995.
"Strangers When We Meet"/"The Man Who Sold the World" (live version), 1995.
"Ziggy Stardust," 1995.
"Hallo Spaceboy," RCA/BMG, 1996.
"Telling Lies," RCA, 1996.
"Dead Man Walking," RCA, 1997.
"I Can't Read," ZYX, 1997.
(With Trent Reznor) "I'm Afraid of Americans," Virgin, 1997.
"Little Wonder" (two parts), BMG, 1997.
(With others) "A Perfect Day" (charity single), 1997.
"Seven Years in Tibet," 1997.
"The Pretty Things Are Going to Hell," EMI, 1999.
"Thursday's Child" (two parts), EMI, 1999.
(With Queen) "Under Pressure," 1999.
"Seven" (multiple parts), 2000.
"Survive" (two parts), 2000.
"Life on Mars"/"The Man Who Sold the World," EMI, 2001.
"Everyone Says 'Hi'" (multiple parts), Sony International, 2002.
"I've Been Waiting for You," EMI, 2002.
"Slow Burn," Sony International, 2002.
(As Bowie; with David Guetta) "Just for One Day," 2003.
"New Killer Star," Sony International, 2003.
Other singles include a version of "Heroes" with Mick Ronson and Queen. Recorded songs in other languages, including German; Bowie's songs have been recorded by others. Vanilla Ice's 1990 single "Ice Ice Baby" includes samples of "Under Pressure."
Video Music:
Love You till Tuesday (also known as David Bowie (Love You till Tuesday)), c. 1969, PolyGram, 1984.
Ashes to Ashes, 1980.
Ziggy Stardust, Rykodisc, 1982.
China Girl Video 45, c. 1983.
David Bowie: Serious Moonlight (also known as Serious Moonlight), Music Media, c. 1983.
Jazzin' for Blue Jean, Pioneer, 1984.
David Bowie, Sony/Picture Music, 1984.
Ricochet, c. 1985.
Day In, Day Out, Picture Music International/Sony, c. 1987.
Glass Spider, Volumes 1 and 2, Baker & Taylor Video, 1988.
(With others) The Magic Years, Volume 1: The Foundations (documentary), Movies Unlimited, 1989.
(With others) The Magic Years, Volume 2: Live Killers in the Making (documentary), Movies Unlimited, 1989.
(With others) The Magic Years, Volume 3: Crowded in Glory (documentary), Movies Unlimited, 1989.
Bowie: The Video Collection, Picture Music International, 1993.
Interview Picture Disc, Baktabak, 1993.
David Bowie: Black Tie White Noise (also known as Black Tie White Noise), BMG Video, c. 1993.
Bowie: Ziggy Stardust, Weaver-Finch, 1995.
Santa Monica Live, 1972, Limited Edition (with book), Griffin McKay, 1995.
David Bowie: Video Collection, Rykodisc, 1996.
(With others) Closure (documentary; also known as Halo 12 and Nine Inch Nails: Closure), Acme Filmworks/Nothing Records, 1997.
(Archive footage; with others) Cher: Live in Concert, 1999.
(With others) Tina Turner: Celebrate Live 1999 (also known as Happy Birthday Tina!), 1999.
Glass Spider Tour, 2001.
(In archive footage) The Best of Bowie, Virgin/Ventura Distribution, 2002.
Reality, Sony Music, 2003.
David Bowie: A Reality Tour (concert documentary; also known as A Reality Tour), Sony Music, 2004.
Critical Review 1969–1972, Classic Rock Legends, 2004.
Origins of a Starman, Music Video Distributors, 2004.
"Jump, They Say," The Work of Director Mark Romanek (documentary), Palm Pictures, 2005.
Critical Review, Vol. 2—1972–74, Classic Rock Legends, 2005.
Inside Bowie and the Spiders 1969–1974, Classic Rock Legends, 2005.
Rock Review, Classic Rock Legends, 2005.
TV Party, BrinkDVD, 2005.
Appeared in other videos.
Video Game Music:
Omikron: The Nomad Soul, Eidos Interactive/Quantic Dream, 1999.
Computer Software Music:
Bowie: Jump Interactive, Ion, 1996.
Nonfiction:
David Bowie Anthology, Hal Leonard, 1985.
In Other Words: David Bowie, Omnibus, 1986.
Ziggy Stardust: Limited Edition, Rykodisc, 1990.
Santa Monica Live, 1972, Limited Edition (contains an accompanying video), Griffin McKay, 1995.
(With Mark Paytress) The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, Classic Rock Album series, Schirmer Books, 1998.
(Author of essay) Moonage Daydream: The Life and Times of Ziggy Stardust, photographs by Mick Rock, Rizzoli, 2005.
Writings for Children:
Musical Storyland (contains an accompanying compact disc), Words in Ink Publishing, 2004.
OTHER SOURCES
Books:
Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, Schirmer, 2001.
Periodicals:
American Banker, February 16, 2000.
Amusement Business, August 30, 1999, p. 8.
Blender, June, 2003, p. 44.
Entertainment Weekly, October 15, 1999, pp. 77-78; November 1, 1999, p. 112.
GQ, January, 1997.
Guitar Player, June, 1997, p. 60.
Interview, February, 1997; June, 2002, pp. 74-79; October, 2003, pp. 164-68.
Harper's Bazaar, June, 2002, p. 74; August, 2002, pp. 96-98; October, 2003, p. 168.
Mojo, February, 1999, pp. 28-29; July, 2002, pp. 28, 74-82, 88-89.
New Musical Express, August 1, 1998, p. 4.
Rolling Stone, April 23, 1987, pp. 74-82, 168.
US, November, 1995.
US Weekly, October 2, 2000, p. 28.
Electronic:
BowieArt, http://www.bowieart.com, January 17, 2006.
BowieNet, http://www.davidbowie.com, January 17, 2006.
Bowie, David
David Bowie
Singer, songwriter
Explored Numerous Cutting-Edge Personas
Few musicians have enjoyed the far-reaching success of David Bowie, a self-described “chameleon of pop” whose career has spanned three decades with little indication of slowing down or even becoming predictable. Bowie is noted for being one step ahead of the times, ushering in glitter or glam-rock, the androgynous look, transgender dressing, robotic rock, rockfunk fused with a futuristic sound, and the superstar rock musician as an actor, producer, painter, philanthropist, millionaire. Rolling Stone’s Seth Hinden wrote; “In 1997 Bowie broke new ground again with the Internet-only release of his single Telling Lies’.... The electronic-themed release received positive reviews from critics, demonstrating that after more than 30 years in music, Bowie still has his pulse on the modern scene... it looks like (he) won’t be retiring anytime soon.”
He was born David Robert Jones on January 8, 1947, in the working class section of London known as Brixton. His childhood was marked by difficulty. His publicist father and theater-ushermother married after his birth, which was a scandalous break from convention in 1947, and his brother was eventually confined to a psychiatric hospital. Bowie’s teenage fighting in his rough neighborhood led to the paralysis of his left eye, the pupil of which was permanently dilated. He appreciated music from an early age and his parents provided him with recordings of American rock pioneers such as Fats Domino, Elvis Presley, and Little Richard, as well as introducing him to R&B and jazz. He also learned to play the guitar as a child, and took up the saxophone at the age of 12. He performed in a series of high school groups while studying commercial art at Bromley Technical High School in London, but he didn’t take his career in music seriously until the early 1960s. He left technical school before earning a degree in order to work at an advertising agency, but soon discovered that he didn’t enjoy the work he was doing and quit. He also studied with the Lindsay Kemp Mime Troupe for two and a half years, painted, and acted in small stage roles. At one time Bowie even considered entering a Buddhist monastery.
Bowie started his first serious group, Davie Jones and the King Bees in 1964, but their one single failed to generate much attention. Bowie then moved on to the Manish Boys, but the group didn’t meet with much commercial success either. In 1965 Bowie discarded his real name, Davy Jones, in favor of the stage name David Bowie to avoid confusion with the London theater star Davy Jones, who later became well known for acting in televisions’ “The Monkees”. Freshly dubbed David Bowie, he joined a mod influenced band called The Lower Third which released one single and broke up. Bowie then joined a psychedelic band called The Buzz,
For the Record…
Born David Robert Hayward Jones, January 8, 1947, in London, England; son of Hayward (a publicist) and Margaret Mary Burns (a movie theater usher); one brother; married Angela Barnet 1970 (divorced 1980); married Iman, 1992; children: Joey Duncan Hayward Jones (name originally Zowie) from first marriage.
Worked in advertising and with the Lindsey Kemp Mime Troupe prior to musical career; performed with various bands throughout the 1960s, including David Jones and the Buzz, the Manish Boys, Davy Jones and the Lower Third, The Kon-rads, and George and the Dragons; solo performer from the late 1960s until 1989, when he formed the Tin Machine; solo performer between 1992 and 1998; motion pictures include The Man Who Fell to Earth, 1976; Just a Gigolo, The Hunger, Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence, 1983; Labyrinth, and Absolute Beginners; also appeared as the lead in the Broadway production of The Elephant Man, 1980; first musician to issue his own bonds, one of the first to release an Internet-only single.
Awards: Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 1996.
Addresses: Office— 641 Fifth Avenue, #22-Q, New York, NY, 10022; Record company —Virgin Records, 1790 Broadway, 20th FI, New York, NY 10019, (212) 586-7700, fax (212) 765-0989; E-mail —atVirgin Records: www.virginrecords.com; www.davidbowie.com
which disbanded in 1966. His first real break came a year later in 1967 when he was offered a solo recording deal with Deram Records. Bowie released an eponymous solo album of folk-influenced pop music in late 1967 and garnered a lot of attention by opening for the popular band T-Rex.
Began with Space Oddity
Bowie enjoyed his first Top 10 hit in the United Kingdom in 1969 with the single “Space Oddity,” which was the tale of a stranded astronaut influenced by the Stanley Kubrick’s film “2001: A Space Oddessy”. He also met his future wife, Angela Barnet, at this time and she convinced a friend at Mercury Records to listen to his music. Since the “Space Oddity” release coincided with the fervor of the American moon landing, Mercury records signed Bowie to rerecord “Space Oddity” for release in America—signaling the beginning of Bowie’s music career in the U.S. Bowie released his first official solo album in 1970, titled Man of Words, Man of Music, with Tony Visconti on bass and Mick Ronson on guitar. The release had a psychedelic feel, and it’s standout track was “Space Oddity”. The album was rereleased in 1972 as Space Oddity.
Bowie married Barnet in 1970 and they had a son named Zowie Duncan Hayward Bowie in 1971. The Man Who Sold the World was released in 1971 as well, which featured Bowie in a dress and make-up on the cover. The album foreshadowed Bowie’s glitter-rock persona and the advent of other glam-rock bands such as the New York Dolls and Slade, but it’s over-the-top lyrics prompted Mercury to part ways with Bowie. RCA Records felt more confident of Bowie’s musical potential and signed him, at the age of 24, for his next album. Hunky Dory, released later in 1971, combined his “glam,” T-Rex-inspired sound with that of a 1960s pop style reminiscent of Bob Dylan and Anthony Newley. Hunky Dory included the single “Changes” and was described by John Mendelsohn in Rolling Stone as Bowie’s “most easily accessible, and thus his most enjoyable work.” Bowie had spent some time in New York City’s wild underground art scene in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and had spent time with Andy Warhol, Lou Reed, and other cult figures. After the release of Hunky Dory, Bowie became a cult figure himself, noted for his outlandish cross-dressing, different colored eyes, and refreshing new sound. Bowie further sealed his fame with the release of The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars in 1972, a sci-fi concept album about a band from outer space. The Spiders from Mars included Ronson, bassist Trevor Bolder, and drummer Woody Woodmansey. An ensuing international tour propelled Ziggy Stardust to the top of the charts, and Bowie capped off a productive year by producing Lou Reed’s 1972 hit album Transformer and writing and producing Mottthe Hoople’s single “All The Young Dudes”.
Explored Numerous Cutting-Edge Personas
Jay Cocks wrote in Time magazine, “Musically, Bowie always seems to know what time it is…. When he first hit the stage as Ziggy, decked out in make-up, dye job, and psychedelic costume, the rock world was ready. Too much karma, too much good vibes, too much hippy-dippy: audiences wanted decadence with a difference. Bowie was there.” Bowie, heralded as the king of glitter rock in the early 1970s, created a media sensation when he told an interviewer that he was bisexual. As the first rock star to come out in the open about this subject, he was the object of controversy. His sexual ambiguity fueled and occasionally eclipsed his celebrity. He later told Kurt Loder in Rolling Stone, “The biggest mistake I evermade… was telling that… writer that I was bisexual. Christ, I was so young then. I was experimenting.”
Bowie was the first rock star to tantalize audiences with a wide array of “looks” or phases, foreshadowing Madonna by at least a decade. Bowie went from Ziggy Stardust to Aladdin Sane, an elfin man decorated with an electric blue lightening bolt drawn across his face and a painted-on teardrop. The album Aladdin Sane was released in 1973. At a London concert in July of 1973, Bowie shocked both his fans and his own band by announcing, “not only is this the last show of the tour, but it’s the last show that we’ll ever do,” which marked the end of the Spiders from Mars. He released Pin-Ups, which was a collection of covers of British hits from the mid-1960s. Bowie mixed Iggy Pop’s classic Raw Power album in 1973 and then, in 1974, set out to recruit a new band for the release of Diamond Dogs. Diamond Dogs was an eerily dark, futuristic-sounding release with a picture of Bowie on the cover as a half-man, half-dog. “Rebel Rebel” was the most popular single from the release and the album reached number five on the U.S. popcharts. In 1975, Bowie released Young Americans and was starting to morph into his “Thin White Duke” persona, slicking his hair back and donning white suits. The single “Fame” from the release was a disco hit recorded with the late ex-Beatle John Lennon. Soon after, quite appropriately, he starred in his first major film The Man Who Fell To Earth.
Station to Station was released in 1976, which generated the top ten single “Golden Years”. Soon after, Bowie moved to Berlin and collaborated with producer/musician Brian Eno formerly of Roxy Music for the release of Low in 1977. Bowie then assisted Iggy Pop with his next two albums The Idiot and Lust For Life and toured as Pop’s piano player before returning to Berlin, where he recorded 1978’s “Heroes” with Eno and former King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp. He moved to Switzerland later in 1978 and released Lodger in 1979. Scary Monsters was released the following year, featuring the singles “Fashion” and “Ashes to Ashes” which were also early MTV videos.
Major Changes in the Eighties
After a rather long breakup, Bowie and his wife Angela divorced in 1980. Turning to other creative outlets, Bowie earned positive reviews as an actor for his lead role in the Broadway play The Elephant Man in 1980, and starred—along with Catherine Deneuve and Susan Sa-randon—in the vampire thriller The Hunger. He then landed a supporting role in 1983’s Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence. Director Nagisa Oshima told Kurt Loder that he chose Bowie for his film Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence after seeing him perform in The Elephant Man because Bowie projected “an inner spirit that is indestructible.” The sentiment summed up Bowie’s talent, intelligence, and ability to forge innovations as well. Bowie then recorded the hit single “Under Pressure” with Queen, which is famous for its bassline, used as the main sample in white bubblegum rapper Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby”, and then announced he was foregoing drugs and homosexuality and leaving his longtime label RCA for EMI. He released his most commercially successful album to date in 1983, titled Let’s Dance. The album featured the hit singles “Let’s Dance,” “Modern Love,” and “China Girl,”. Tonight was released in 1984, which included “Blue Jean” and the title track, a duet with Tina Turner. In 1986, Bowie appeared in the fantasy film Labyrinth and in Absolute Beginners. He also recorded Martha and the Vandellas’ Motown hit “Dancing in the Streets” with Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones in 1986.
Never Let Me Down was released in 1987, and the supporting tour for the album—the Glass Spider Tour—featured Peter Frampton as Bowie’s backing guitarist. A “greatest hits” boxed set called Sound and Vision was released by the independent Rykodisc label in 1989 along with his entire back catalog up to Scary Monsters which had been long deleted by RCA. Bowie then formed a band called Tin Machine that released two eponymous albums, the first in 1989 and the second in 1991. The Tin Machine was not especially successful, and disbanded in 1992. Bowie married Somolian model Iman in 1992 and released Black Tie, White Noise in 1993. Bowie’s first interactive CD-ROM project, Jump, was released at this time, followed by 1995’s Outside. Bowie then toured the U.S. with Nine Inch Nails and Europe with Morrissey. In 1996 he appeared as his late friend Andy Warhol in the art-world feature film, Basquiat. Bowie was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in July of 1996.
Still Far Ahead of His Time
In 1997 Bowie released the Internet-only single “Telling Lies,” followed by the release of the album Earthling. In 1998 he released a 40-minute remix from Earthling titled “I’m Afraid of Americans”, which was remixed by Nine Inch Nails and Photek. In 1997 Bowie initiated a novel approach to getting richer by issuing his own bonds; it was an ideal way to land a giant lump sum of money—in Bowie’s case, $55 million. People magazine wrote, “Backed by hit songs that should continue to earn for years, rockers can reap millions now and slowly pay back the bonds (which are really low-interest loans) with the old tunes’ royalties.” Bowie’s prolific, original, and thoroughly memorable contribution to pop music has already stood the test of time—and passed with flying colors. He celebrated his 50th birthday in 1997 with an all-star concert at Madison Square Garden and the release of Earthling.
Selected discography
The Man Who Sold the World, Mercury, 1971.
Hunky Dory, RCA, 1971.
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, RCA, 1972.
Aladdin Sane, RCA, 1973.
Pin Ups, RCA, 1973.
Diamond Dogs, RCA, 1974.
Young Americans, RCA, 1975.
Low, RCA, 1977.
Heroes, RCA, 1977.
Lodger, RCA, 1979.
Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps), RCA, 1980.
Let’s Dance, EMI America, 1983.
Ziggy Stardust: The Motion Picture Soundtrack, RCA, 1983.
Tonight, EMI America, 1984.
Love You ‘Til Tuesday, Deram/Polygram, 1984.
David Bowie: Man of Words/Man of Music, Mercury, 1969, later reissued as Space
Oddity, RCA, 1984.
Never Let Me Down, EMI America, 1987.
Sound and Vision, Rykodisc, 1989.
Black Tie, White Noise, Virgin Records, 1993.
Santa Monica ‘72., Griffin Records, 1995.
Outside, Virgin Records, 1995.
Earthling, Virgin Records, 1997.
Sources
Books
Cann, Kevin, David Bowie: A Chronology, Simon & Schuster, 1984.
Edwards, Henry, and Tony Zanetta, Stardust: The David Bowie Story, McGraw-Hill, 1986.
Tremelett, George, The David Bowie Story, Warner Books, 1975.
Periodicals
Newsweek, July 18, 1983.
New York Times, May 20, 1976.
People, July 20, 1998.
Playboy, September 1976.
Raygun, February 1998.
Rolling Stone, January 6, 1972; October 4, 1979; May 12, 1983; October 25, 1984; April 23, 1987.
Time, July 18, 1983.
Online
“The Rolling Stone Network,” Biography, www.rollingstone.com/biography/davidbowie
www.wallofsound.com/discography
—B. Kimberly Taylor
Bowie, David
DAVID BOWIE
Born: David Robert Jones; London, England, 8 January 1947
Genre: Rock
Best-selling album since 1990: Heathen (2002)
One of rock's most prolific stars, singer/songwriter David Bowie is a steadfast innovator with a keen eye for staying ahead of the music scene; he is not content to merely rekindle aspects of his glorious past. Throughout his storied career, Bowie's commitment to his performance personae has crept into his off-stage life, making his actual self somewhat unrecognizable. Over the course of five decades, Bowie has been at the vanguard of glitter/glam rock, disco, technorock, electrofunk, and other musical variations; has unabashedly presented himself in various sexual and political identities; and has made successful forays into acting, producing, and art. Bowie is the first rock star to market a song's release exclusively over the Internet and to let his identity "go public" over the stock market. He embraces both the avant-garde and sheer commercialism.
Identity Oddity
Bowie was born David Robert Jones into a working-class family in the Brixton section of London, England. His leading musical influence was a half-brother, Terry, who introduced him to jazz, R&B, and artists from early American rock such as Elvis Presley and Little Richard. He learned both guitar and saxophone in his rather unhappy youth, which found him withdrawing further into music and other art forms. As a harbinger of the artistic variety Bowie later brought to his professional life, he acted in plays, studied mime for three years, and painted. He even seriously considered becoming a Buddhist monk. After graduating with a degree in commercial art from a technical school, Bowie worked for a short time in a London ad agency while playing music with local bands. As his music aspirations grew, he changed his name to David Bowie to avoid being mistaken for Davey Jones, the London theater star who gained fame in the late 1960s as the lead singer for the band the Monkees.
Although he enjoyed marginal recording success in London for nearly five years with various bands, Bowie's first work of prominence came in 1969 when he introduced the world to his thin, haunting voice with the release of the hit single, "Space Oddity." His first official solo album, Man of Words, Man of Music (1969), later re-released as Space Oddity (1969), contains the single of the same name, the tale of an all-American astronaut named Major Tom who chooses to disconnect from orbit and drift off into space rather than return to his ideal life on earth. Inspired by Stanley Kubrick's film 2001: A Space Odyssey, the song was intended as an allegory for America's space program, which many counterculturalists viewed as a symbol of America's overachieving bravado. The rest of the album's songs are folk-style, psychedelic ramblings and give little notice of what was to come.
Bowie reached superstardom in the 1970s as he explored various rock music phases by reinventing himself three times: as the tragic glam rocker Ziggy Stardust; the fragile, androgynous Aladdin Sane; and the Euro-fascist Thin White Duke. This creativity generated several hit albums and many of his signature songs, including, "Changes," "Young Americans," "Rebel, Rebel," "Golden Years," and a precursor to disco recorded with his friend, John Lennon, titled "Fame." Whether it was a delusional reaction from heavy drug use or calculated self-promotion, Bowie lived these stage personae in his off-stage life. This fascinated the public, as did Bowie's declarations that he was homosexual and/or bisexual. (He married Angela Barnet in 1970 and they had a son, Zowie, in 1971.) Although much of post-1970s rock blurred the lines of gender dress codes, Bowie took cross-dressing several steps further than any other musical artist.
His most notable stage persona was Ziggy Stardust, and his album, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972), counts as one of rock's classic recordings. Similar in attitude to the Restoration comedy fop, the character Ziggy, created in 1972, was an overblown parody of a rock star who took himself and his stardom too seriously. However, as Bowie prophesied on the album, Ziggy met his demise barely a year after he emerged. Even his band mates were flabbergasted when Bowie suddenly announced to a London audience in June 1973 at the Hammersmith Odeon on the last date of the Ziggy Stardust Tour that Ziggy would be retiring forever that evening. Incidentally, a DVD and double CD set of that historic concert, which includes Ziggy's farewell speech, was released in 2003.
By 1977 after several years of excessive drug abuse, Bowie moved to Berlin in order to put his life back together. This also marked another bizarre chapter for the rock chameleon as he embodied the persona of an eerie, clean-cut Anglo aristocrat called the "Thin White Duke." Bowie, during this phase, alarmed many of his fans as he spoke flatteringly of Hitler and many extreme far-right causes. One of the albums from this period, Station to Station (1976), contained the megahit "Golden Years."
Bowie also found time to produce and play on albums for Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, and Mott the Hoople, for whom he wrote the hit song "All the Young Dudes." For a short period in 1977, Bowie toured somewhat anonymously as Pop's piano player. Additionally, he acted in a several films and began the 1980s by joining the cast of the Broadway hit The Elephant Man in the demanding role of John Merrick, a man beset with a grotesque birth defect. Bowie's performance surprised skeptics and garnered excellent reviews.
The 1980s marked Bowie's most commercial period. His first two album releases, Scary Monsters (1980) and Let's Dance (1983), featured electronically informed, funky rock that spawned several of the decade's biggest hit singles, among them "Fashion," "Modern Love," "China Girl," and "Let's Dance." He also publicly announced his sobriety and that he was neither homosexual nor bisexual. Bowie continued mixing film acting with an active recording schedule that saw him release two more studio albums while also recording songs with Tina Turner and Mick Jagger. He and Jagger recorded a pop version of Marvin Gaye's "Dancing in the Streets" that received major airplay. If Bowie was playing characters throughout the 1980s, then one of them was certainly that of a successful and wealthy pop star.
Bowie Portrays Himself
In 1990 Bowie seemed to shed the success of the previous decade and revert to exploring the musical fringe by touring with a low-profile group of his assemblage called Tin Machine. They released two recordings, Tin Machine (1989) and Tin Machine II (1991), which gained little attention before the group broke up so that Bowie could resume his solo career. He released his first solo recording in six years, Black Tie, White Noise (1993), which contained many of the songs that Bowie wrote for his wedding in 1992 to Iman, a world-famous model who was born in Somalia. The album attempted to recreate the sound and hit success of Let's Dance, but sales fizzled.
Spot Light: Bowie Banks on His Future Success
In 1997 David Bowie issued $55 million worth of bonds against the future royalty payments on his massive catalog of music. The move prompted the Guinness Book of World Records to categorize Bowie as "the most valuable music artist on the stock market." He enlisted the help of investment guru David Porter to issue the ten-year, asset-backed "Bowie Bonds," which pay 7.9% interest to their holder. The entire issue was sold to the Prudential Insurance Co., providing Bowie with immediate millions and preventing him from having to wait for royalty earnings to trickle in over the years. The shrewd and successful financial maneuver was viewed negatively by many of Bowie's fans, who accused him of overt capitalism. However, the business world applauded and has since used it as a model that has been followed by many other entertainment artists and entities, including sports stars.
Bowie enlisted producer/musician Brian Eno, with whom he had worked during his Berlin period, to assist him on his next recording, Outside (1995). Bowie also employed a market research team to discern what the public wanted to hear. The result was a concept album that featured a nebulous narrative casting a web of indiscernible, shady characters against the backdrop of the high art world. He followed the album's release by touring with the band Nine Inch Nails.
In 1996 Bowie was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. That same year he portrayed his late friend, Andy Warhol, in the film Basquiat. That role was Bowie's fifteenth film-acting appearance. He also broke new ground by becoming the first artist to release a song, "Telling Lies," exclusively over the Internet. A year later Bowie formed an Internet provider service called BowieNet that made, among other services, music and art information available to its paid subscribers. He also broke new ground when he floated a $55 million bond issue against his music royalties.
Inspired by his touring mates, Nine Inch Nails, Bowie explored the modern industrial beat and sifted his evocative baritone through studio electronics to win high critical acclaim on Earthling (1997). He followed that with an equally hip but introspective and cryptically styled solo effort, Hours (1999). Bowie once again set the music industry on its ear with the successful release of Heathen (2002), his twenty-fourth solo album. The album's stark simplicity brought it strong sales, and critics lauded the effort, claiming that it let Bowie be Bowie.
The line between impulsive artist and manipulative entrepreneur gets fuzzy over the multihued career of David Bowie. Never resting on his laurels, striving desperately forward with the times, he is undeniably one of the most influential and clever performers in rock music history.
SELECTIVE DISCOGRAPHY:
Space Oddity (Mercury, 1969); The Man Who Sold the World (Mercury, 1970); Hunky Dory (RCA, 1971); The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (RCA, 1972); Aladdin Sane (RCA, 1973); Diamond Dogs (Virgin, 1974); Young Americans (RCA, 1975); Station to Station (RCA, 1976); Low (RCA, 1977); Heroes (RCA, 1978); Lodger (RCA, 1979); Scary Monsters (RCA, 1980); Let's Dance (EMI, 1983); Tonight (EMI, 1984); Never Let Me Down (EMI, 1987); Tim Machine (EMI, 1989); Tin Machine II (Victory, 1991); Black Tie, White Noise (Savage, 1993); Outside (Virgin, 1995); Earthling (Virgin, 1997); Hours (Virgin, 1999); Heathen (Columbia, 2002).
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
D. Buckley, Strange Fascination: David Bowie: The Definitive Story (London, 2001).
donald lowe
David Bowie
David Bowie
English singer David Bowie (born 1947) has been called a cultural chameleon throughout his long and colorful career. From music and film to art and the Internet, Bowie has challenged the perceptions of fans and critics alike with his many malleable personas which seemed to mirror the cutting edge trends of the day. In 1996, Bowie became the first artist of his stature to release a single, "Telling Lies," exclusively via the Internet.
Born January 8, 1947, and raised in Brixton, a poor section of London, Bowie claims to have mapped out his destiny at an early age. The son of Hayward Jones, a publicist, and Margaret Mary (Burns) Jones, a movie theater usher, Bowie turned to music as the way to change his life. After having heard a single by Little Richard, the nine-year-old Bowie decided he wanted to be one of Little Richard's saxophone players. A short time later, he got his first saxophone and began working as a butcher's delivery boy in order to pay it off. Upon learning that jazz player Ronnie Ross lived in the neighborhood, Bowie persuaded Ross to give him some lessons. After ten or so lessons, Bowie quit going to see Ross because he felt that he was ready to become a rock star.
Bowie immersed himself in music because of the lack of communication between his parents and himself. He told Hanif Kureishi of Interview that "I could never, ever talk to my father. I really loved him, but we couldn't talk about anything together. There was this really British thing that being even remotely emotional was absolutely verboten." Putting it down to the "classic case of British reserve," Bowie consoled himself by withdrawing to his room where he was alone with his books and music and thoughts.
While a teenager, Bowie plied his trade with numerous London area bands including the Kon-Rads, King Bees, Mannish Boys, and the Lower Third. During this time he flirted with a number of the musical styles and genres popular in Britain in the early-to mid-1960s, most notably folk and mod. Bowie also studied commercial art, worked briefly at an advertising agency, painted, and acted in some small stage roles.
The worldwide success of the made-for-television American pop band The Monkees forced Bowie to change his name in the late 1960s. The Monkees' lead singer was named Davey Jones and Bowie did not want to be confused with him, so he adopted the surname Bowie. Bowie started his solo career in 1966 and released his first singles about the same time. The singles were mostly unmemorable and easily forgettable until 1969. In that year, Bowie released his first classic signature song "Space Oddity," which eventually peaked at number five on the British pop singles chart. Two years later, his album, The Man Who Sold the World, was released. It has been claimed that the birth of the glam rock movement occurred when this album was released. Also that year, Bowie went on his first promotional tour of America and in the summer, his wife Angela Barnet gave birth to a son, Zowie, now known as Joey.
The year 1972 was a rather eventful one for Bowie. He went on another promotional tour of America, although this time it was to cement relations with his new label RCA. Hunky Dory, was culled from tracks on the demo that got Bowie his new recording contract. It contained the singles "Life on Mars" and "Changes". The follow-up to Hunky Dory established Bowie as a star. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars gave Bowie not only the abbreviated title track but it also gave him his first and perhaps most beloved persona-Ziggy Stardust. On his chameleon-like character changes, Bowie told Kureishi of Interview that "I know now for a fact that so much of my ambition and drive came from wanting to escape from myself and from feelings of inadequacy and vulnerability and not feeling I was loved by anybody, particularly. I would drive those feelings out by throwing myself not only into work, but eventually into characters." The tour to support the album was a rock spectacle full of theatrics and innovations.
During this time, Bowie produced Lou Reed's Transformer album and Mott the Hoople's All the Young Dudes. He also discussed his bisexuality in an interview with the British music magazine Melody Maker. The resulting controversy lingered on for years. Later Bowie told Kurt Loder in Rolling Stone: "The biggest mistake I ever made … was telling that … writer that I was bisexual. Christ, I was so young then. I was experimenting."
Aladdin Sane was released in the spring of 1973, while the world was still enchanted by Ziggy Stardust. In June of that year, Bowie gave up the Ziggy Stardust persona which started a trend that would continue throughout his career. The shock of this announcement was heightened by the fact that it was made on the last date of the Ziggy Stardust tour and not even members of Bowie's band had known about it ahead of time.
Bowie then went to France and started to work on his next album Pin Ups, which was released in the fall of 1973. It was in homage to the artists who had influenced him when he was starting out in the music industry. Six months later saw the release of Diamond Dogs, which was a reaction to the disco music that was slowly starting to inundate society. The success of Bowie's biggest American tour to date was chronicled on David Live, a recording of the Philadelphia concert.
Bowie's fascination with America manifested itself on his 1975 release Young Americans. It gave Bowie his first American number one single, "Fame," which was a collaboration with John Lennon that barely made the album. Shortly after the release of the album, Bowie moved to Los Angles and began his film career with a role in the 1976 movie The Man Who Fell to Earth. Also that year, Bowie released Station to Station and RCA released his first greatest hits album Changes one bowie.
Not long after this, Bowie moved to Berlin and began collaborations with avante garde experimentalists Brian Eno and Robert Fripp. According to Bowie's official web site, the vibe of the Berlin recording sessions with Fripp and Eno featured "surrealism and experimentation [as] the themes of the day. The incorporation of cut and paste techniques into unique instrumentation birthed what are now heralded as luminary ambient sounds capes." Low, which was released in 1977, perplexed both RCA and Bowie's fans although the single "Sound & Vision" made it to number two on the British pop charts. During this time, Bowie also produced and collaborated on The Idiot by his friend Iggy Pop.
Stage was released in the fall of 1978 and featured material culled from Bowie's Berlin period and material from his most recent American concert tour. He then relocated to Switzerland before setting off on expeditions to the continents of Asia and Africa. His next album Lodger was recorded in France and released in the spring of 1979. In September of the following year, Bowie made his debut on a Broadway stage in the role of the Elephant Man. He received numerous positive reviews for his performance. Around the same time as his Broadway debut, Bowie divorced his wife, Angela Barnet.
Bowie chose to drop out of the music scene for awhile, in order to concentrate on acting. His first film role during his self-imposed sabbatical was in The Hunger, which was released in 1982. This was followed very closely by Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence. RCA released his second greatest hits package Changes two bowie in that year as well.
With the 1983 signing of Bowie to EMI came the release of yet another of his signature albums Let's Dance. Jay Cocks of Time called it a "record of shrewd and unsentimental dynamism." It introduced the former Thin White Duke and Ziggy Stardust to a whole new generation of fans through videos on MTV. Let's Dance included the hit singles "Let's Dance," "Modern Love," and "China Girl," which was a collaboration between Bowie and Pop from their time spent in Berlin. His next album, Tonite, was released in 1984. Three years later saw the release of Never Let Me Down.
In 1988, Bowie announced the formation of his new band Tin Machine. This was notable for two reasons. It was the first time Bowie would be part of a group as opposed to a solo singer with a backing band. Also, as Bowie was quick to point out, this was to be a collaborative effort, not a Bowie side project. Virgin released Tin Machine's self titled debut album in 1989. Tin Machine signed to Victory and released Tin Machine II in 1991. The following year, the live album Oy Vey Baby was released. In 1992, Tin Machine was put on indefinite hold as Bowie decided to revive his solo career.
Bowie toured the world in support of the Rykodisc box set Sound + Vision. This tour served as the long awaited and much anticipated greatest hits tour. On April 24, 1992, not far from his home in Switzerland, Bowie wed his second wife, the Somalian model, Iman. The following year brought the Virgin release Black Tie White Noise, which was informally called the wedding album in honor of his nuptials from the previous year. It marked the first solo Bowie record since 1987. Two years later, Bowie was once again collaborating with Eno, this time on Outside.
In 1995, Bowie toured the United States with the group Nine Inch Nails, and featured his songs from Outside. In 1996, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, starred in the film Basquiat, and released the Internet-only single "Telling Lies." One of the challenges Bowie faced in 1997 was the marketing and selling of the "Bowie Bonds." The sale of the bonds enabled him to obtain royalty money up front as opposed to waiting for it. The bonds were backed by the future royalties from his albums which were released prior to 1990. He also released Earthling in 1997.
Bowie has developed a solid reputation in the art world as an artist and writer. According to the Virgin Records website, during 1996 and 1997 Bowie had art exhibitions in Switzerland, Italy, and England. He also sold art exclusively through his "Bowieart" website, and his interview with the late pop artist Roy Lichtenstein was published in the January 1998 issue of Interview. In May of 1997, Bowie and three colleagues founded 21 Publishing in Great Britain. According to the "Bowieart" website, "21 aims to address the cultural issues of the 21st century and will create a platform for new words, new images and new ideas."
Nicholas Roeg, who directed Bowie in The Man Who Fell to Earth, summed up the Bowie mystique to Cocks of Time as "David's a real living Renaissance figure. That's what makes him spectacular. He goes away and re-emerges bigger than before. He doesn't have a fashion, he's just constantly expanding. It's the world that has to stop occasionally and say 'My God, he's still going on."'
Further Reading
Buckley, David, David Bowie, Omnibus, 1996.
Thompson, Dave, and Dave Thomson, David Bowie: Moonage Daydream, Plexus Pub, 1994.
Tremlett, George, David Bowie: Living on the Brink, Carroll & Graf, 1997.
Amusement Business, October 30, 1995, p. 8.
Billboard, August 2, 1997, p. 6.
CFO, April 1997, p. 20.
Entertainment Weekly, April 4, 1997, p. 26; November 14, 1997, p. 89.
Fortune, April 28, 1997, p. 50.
Interview, May 1993, pp. 92-97; February 1997, pp. 46-50.
People, May 18, 1992, p. 72.
Rolling Stone, May 12, 1983; October 25, 1984; April 23, 1987.
Time, July 18, 1983, pp. 54-60; February 17, 1997, p. 70.
"Bowieart," http://www.bowieart.com (March 9, 1998).
"David Bowie," Celeb site,http://www.celebsite.com/people/davidbowie/ (March 9, 1998).
"David Bowie," http://www.davidbowie.com/2.0/history/biography (February 13, 1998).
"David Bowie," http://www.virginrecords.com/artists (February 13, 1998).
Bowe, David
Bowe, David
PERSONAL
Addresses:
Agent—Gage Group, 14724 Ventura Blvd, Suite 505, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403; (voice work) Danis Panaro Nist, 9201 West Olympic Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90212.
Career:
Actor.
CREDITS
Film Appearances:
Mountain, Back to the Beach (also known as Malibu Beach Girls), Paramount, 1987.
Bob, UHF (also known as The Vidiot from UHF), Orion, 1989.
College boy, The Adventures of Ford Fairlane, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1990.
Saunders, Air America, TriStar, 1990.
Max, Wedding Band, IRS Media, 1990.
First security guard, Think Big, Concorde, 1990.
Sloppy Joe, Masters of Menace, New Line Cinema, 1991.
Photographer at television awards show, For the Boys, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1991.
Norman Fishbine, I Don't Buy Kisses Anymore, Skouras Pictures, 1992.
Commander Gibbs, A Few Good Men, Columbia, 1992.
Teddy, Made in America, Warner Bros., 1993.
EES assistant, Freaked (also known as Hideous Mutant Freekz), Lauren Film, 1993.
Dr. Matthew Robertson, Malice, Columbia, 1993.
Fred, Future Shock, Hemdale Home Video, 1993.
Howard, Heaven Sent, Sunset Hill Video, 1994.
Chris Donelly, Heavyweights, Buena Vista, 1995.
Helicopter paramedic, The Cable Guy, Columbia, 1996.
Dr. Ling, The Rock, Buena Vista, 1996.
Henry Webster, A Dog's Tale, 1999.
Jack, Yup Yup Man (also known as Dark Justice), 2000.
Copilot, Panic (also known as Air Panic), Nu Image Films, 2001.
Richard, The Shrink Is In, New City Releasing, 2001.
Rick Woods, Ablaze, New City Releasing, 2001.
First executive, BachelorMan, Showcase Entertainment, 2003.
Registration clerk, Grind, Warner Bros., 2003.
Television interviewer, Cheaper by the Dozen, Twentieth Century-Fox, 2003.
Forest Avery, Kicking & Screaming, Universal, 2005.
Television Appearances; Movies:
Mark, Maybe Baby, NBC, 1988.
Eddy, My Boyfriend's Back, NBC, 1989.
Durbin, Live! from Death Row, Fox, 1992.
Jonathan Daye, 18 Minutes in Albuquerque, 1994.
Dr. Jerrold "Jerry" Petrofsky, Sleeping with the Devil, CBS, 1997.
Harry, The Shadow Men, HBO, 1998.
Guy at club, Late Last Night, 1999.
Jay, They Shoot Divas, Don't They?, VH1, 2002.
Mike Landry, Mystery Woman, Hallmark Channel, 2003.
Leo, McBride: The Doctor Is Out … Really Out, Hallmark Channel, 2005.
Reverend Stevens, Where There's a Will, Hallmark Channel, 2006.
Television Appearances; Series:
Rush, a recurring role, Down the Shore, Fox, 1992.
Andy Boswell, Life … and Stuff, CBS, 1997.
Television Appearances; Specials:
Behind the Scenes: "UHF," 1989.
David Landon, Sisters, NBC, 1990.
Voice of ticket taker, Rugrats: All Growed Up (animated), Nickelodeon, 2001.
Voices of ticket taker and judge, Rugrats Kwanzaa (animated), Nickelodeon, 2001.
Television Appearances; Episodic:
Neil Cooper, "The Job Not Taken," Family Ties, 1989.
Buster Keaton, "Fifteen with Wanda," Alien Nation, 1989.
Young Frank, "Sail Away," Highway to Heaven, 1986.
Robert Gould Shaw, "California," thirtysomething, 1991.
Director, "The Butler Did It," The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, NBC, 1991.
The security guard, "My Dinner with Mark," Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, ABC, 1992.
Jack, Herman's Head, Fox, 1993.
"Missing," Time Trax, 1994.
Jerry DeCarlo, "What's Will Got to Do With It?," The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, NBC, 1994.
Dr. Harry Leit, "The Eyes Have It," Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (also known as Lois & Clark and The New Adventures of Superman), ABC, 1995.
Garrett Slan/Warren, "Alone at the Top," Beverly Hills, 90210 Fox, 1995.
Garrett Slan/Warren, "Love Hurts," Beverly Hills, 90210, Fox, 1995.
Dr. Briskin, "Val's Apartment," The Nanny, CBS, 1995.
Ray Brunger, "Mr. Big Shot," Living Single (also known as My Girls), Fox, 1995.
Robin's Hoods, 1995.
Daniel, "Pledge Allegiance," In the House, UPN, 1996.
First producer, "The Young and the Meatless," The Jamie Foxx Show, The WB, 1997.
Garrett Slan, "Unnecessary Roughness," Beverly Hills, 90210, Fox, 1997.
Garrett Slan, "Face-Off," Beverly Hills, 90210, Fox, 1997.
Miner, "Mining Accident," The Weird Al Show, 1997.
"That Ol' Gang of Mine," Night Man, 1997.
Jimmy Franks, "Flip," The Larry Sanders Show, HBO, 1998.
Basso, "Wrongs Darker than Death or Night," Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (also known as Deep Space Nine, DS9, and Star Trek: DS9), syndicated, 1998.
Attorney Johnson, "State of Mind," The Practice, ABC, 1998.
Kirk Lawson, Guys Like Us, UPN, 1998.
Robert Brooks, "Leap of Faith," L.A. Doctors (also known as L.A. Docs), CBS, 1998.
Robert Werther, "Trevor," The X-Files, Fox, 1999.
Lloyd, "Gimme an O!," Felicity, The WB, 1999.
Larry Larson, "Swan Song," Diagnosis Murder, CBS, 2000.
Salesman, "The Garage Door," Freaks and Geeks, NBC, 2000.
Stewart, "Too Much Pressure," Zoe, Duncan, Jack & Jane (also known as Zoe …), The WB, 2000.
Bill, "The Daddies Group," Yes, Dear, CBS, 2001.
Harris Reed, "The Confession," The Practice, ABC, 2001.
Jerry, "The Paper Chase," Felicity, The WB, 2002.
Bruce Chevillet, "Trifecta, Try Friendship," Life with Bonnie, ABC, 2004.
Phil Boyd, "Committed," CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (also known as C.S.I., CSI: Las Vegas, CSI Weekends, and Les experts), CBS, 2005.
Larry Papas, "Creatures of the Night," Cold Case, CBS, 2005.
Kruger Spence, "Secrets and Lies," Criminal Minds, CBS, 2006.
Dr. Gordon, The Winner, Fox, 2007.
Also appeared in an episode of American Dreams, NBC.
Television Appearances; Other:
Jerry, "Further Adventures" (pilot), CBS Summer Playhouse, CBS, 1988.
Boone, Python, 2000.
RECORDINGS
Videos:
(Uncredited) Bob, "UHF," Alapalooza: The Videos, 1994.
Bob, "UHF," "Weird Al" Yankovic: The Videos, 1996.
(Uncredited) Bob, "UHF," "Weird Al" Yankovic: The Ultimate Video Collection, Volcano Entertainment Group, 2003.
Voices, Enter the Matrix (video game), Atari/Infogrames Entertainment,, 2003.