RIP David Bowie
 

The singer-songwriter and producer dabbled in glam rock, art rock, soul, hard rock, dance pop, punk and electronica during his eclectic 40-plus-year career.

David Bowie has died after a battle with cancer, his representative confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter.

"David Bowie died peacefully today surrounded by his family after a courageous 18 month battle with cancer. While many of you will share in this loss, we ask that you respect the family’s privacy during their time of grief," read a statement posted on the artist's official social media accounts.

The influential singer-songwriter and producer dabbled in glam rock, art rock, soul, hard rock, dance pop, punk and electronica during his eclectic 40-plus-year career.

Bowie’s artistic breakthrough came with 1972’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, an album that fostered the notion of rock star as space alien. Fusing British mod with Japanese kabuki styles and rock with theater, Bowie created the flamboyant, androgynous alter ego Ziggy Stardust.

Three years later, Bowie achieved his first major American crossover success with the No. 1 single “Fame” off the Top 10 album Young Americans, then followed with the 1976 avant-garde art-rock LP Station to Station, which made it to No. 3 on the charts and featured Top 10 hit “Golden Years.”

Other memorable songs included 1983’s “Let’s Dance” — his only other No. 1 U.S. hit — “Space Oddity,” “Heroes,” “Changes,” “Under Pressure,” “China Girl,” “Modern Love,” “Rebel, Rebel,” “All the Young Dudes,” “Panic in Detroit,” “Fashion,” “Life on Mars” “Suffragette City” and a 1977 Christmas medley with Bing Crosby.

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With his different-colored eyes (the result of a schoolyard fight) and needlelike frame, Bowie was a natural to segue from music into curious movie roles, and he starred as an alien seeking help for his dying planet in Nicolas Roeg’s surreal The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976). Critics later applauded his three-month Broadway stint as the misshapen lead in 1980’s The Elephant Man.

Bowie also starred in Marlene Dietrich’s last film, Just a Gigolo (1978), portrayed a World War II prisoner of war in Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (1983), and played Pontius Pilate in Martin Scorsese’s The Last Temptation of Christ (1988). And in another groundbreaking move, Bowie, who always embraced technology, became the first rock star to morph into an Internet Service Provider with the launch in September 1998 of BowieNet.

Born David Jones in London on Jan. 8, 1947, Bowie changed his name in 1966 after The Monkees’ Davy Jones achieved stardom. He played saxophone and started a mime company, and after stints in several bands, he signed with Mercury Records, which in 1969 released his album Man of Words, Man of Music, which featured “Space Oddity,” a poignant song about an astronaut, Major Tom, spiraling out of control.

In an attempt to stir interest in Ziggy Stardust, Bowie revealed in a January 1972 magazine interview that he was gay — though that might have been a publicity stunt — dyed his hair orange and began wearing women’s garb. The album became a sensation.

Wrote rock critic Robert Christgau: “This is audacious stuff right down to the stubborn wispiness of its sound, and Bowie's actorly intonations add humor and shades of meaning to the words, which are often witty and rarely precious, offering an unusually candid and detailed vantage on the rock star’s world.”

Bowie changed gears in 1975. Becoming obsessed with the dance/funk sounds of Philadelphia, his self-proclaimed “plastic soul”-infused Young Americans peaked at No. 9 with the single “Fame,” which he co-wrote with John Lennon and guitarist Carlos Alomar.

After the soulful but colder Station to Station, Bowie again confounded expectations after settling in Germany by recording the atmospheric 1977 album Low, the first of his “Berlin Trilogy” collaborations with keyboardist Brian Eno.

In 1980, Bowie brought out Scary Monsters, which cast a nod to the Major Tom character from “Space Oddity” with the sequel “Ashes to Ashes.” He followed with Tonight in 1984 and Never Let Me Down in 1987 and collaborations with Queen, Mick Jagger, Tina Turner, The Pat Metheny Group and others. He formed the quartet Tin Machine (his brother Tony played drums), but the band didn’t garner much critical acclaim or commercial gain with two albums.

Bowie returned to a solo career with 1993’s Black Tie White Noise, which saw him return to work with his Spider From Mars guitarist Mick Ronson, then recorded 1995’s Outside with Eno and toured with Nine Inch Nails as his opening act. He returned to the studio in 1996 to record the techno-influenced Earthling. Two more albums, 1999’s hours … and 2002’s Heathen, followed.

Bowie also produced albums for, among others, Lou Reed, The Stooges and Moot the Hoople, for which he wrote the song “All the Young Dudes.” He earned a lifetime achievement Grammy Award in 2006.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/new...-artist-854364

Damn. I was never a fan but that dude right there was a legend. RIP.

I just now got done reading the report from my phone.

Godspeed Iggy Stardust (and Goblin King.)

Tell me this isn't for real.

Sadly it's real... 2016 starts how 2015 ended, with the death of a British music legend :-?

I don't have anything...this isn't ok.

One of the greatest. Stood out from the crowd. We will surely remember him.

It's sad when this happens. I wasn't here when legends like Elvis Presley and John Lennon died, but I was when George Harrison, Michael Jackson, and Whitney Houston left us. It feels like all the great artists just seem to go too soon.

Rest in peace, Ziggy Stardust. You were a man who fell to Earth who gained fame and modern love through all of the ch-ch-ch-ch-changes. We will always dance to your music, even during our golden years.

I did not believe it when I first saw it. His int3nd3d final album 5hat has been anticipated for over a year plus just came out rwo days before. He retired because of health concerns with his heart to spend time with hisvs3cond family. I did not know hevhad cancer. It have been publizied abd I nit see it. Thevwietd part is I rent3d The Labrynith from Netflix and is supposed to arrive today. I guess I will have to make it a tribute to ole Ziggy.

He was one of my favorites, I'm really sad hearing the news. I was gonna buy his latest album this week and now I know the listening will hurt.

My husband texted me about this early this morning. So sad to see him go. I've enjoyed both his music and his movie roles. RIP Jareth....

My wife woke me up early this morning to tell me. I still can't fully believe it. I was a fan, not a major fan, but I've loved his music and his performances for a long time. He was an absolute legend who was never afraid to experiment and go against the grain.

I've heard a lot of great things about Blackstar, his last album that just came out. I might have to spend my day listening to it.

Memorable for me until eternity! Goodbye, David Bowie.

Honestly, I don't think I've ever listened to his stuff. At least not that I know of. But I'm aware that he's a music a legend. So RIP.

I have to be honest. Never been a fan of his music. It just never pulled me in. I don't understand most of his songs as to me they're just...weird. About the only song I like that he sang is Little Drummer Boy.

But to me he'll always be the Goblin King. There were rumours for years that a Labrynth sequel would be made. Guess there won't be now.

Also apparantly he was to make a cameo in Guardians of the Galaxy Chapter 2. :/

I might not be the biggest Bowie fan for my music taste, but he was a wonderful singer and did make me smile at times. I also really hate how we barely started this year and we lost a great music legend to cancer, RIP Dave. :(

He reminds me of the babe. :(

Here are my favorites by David Bowie.

'Space Oddity' under his early used stage name of Ziggy Stardust.


His Disco outing with 'Let's Dance'.


Fame. Anyone remember the 'Krang' parody of this on Youtube?


For me Bowie shined the most in duets such as this 80s' duet with Mick Jagger covering Motown hit 'Dancing In The Street'. The British duo made it their own here.


1981 classic duet with Freddie Mercury of Queen, 'Under Pressure'. This is probably my personal favorite.


There is also his duet with Bing Crosby just before Crosby's death in 1977. Peace on Earth/ Little Drummer Boy. Bowie covers the Peace on Earth segment of the melody. They are so different on the surface, but meld so perfectly.


Thanks again, David. A unique individual I greatly respect. I just cant get over the odd timing of his passing. It reminds me of James' Ultimate Warrior' Hellwig in that respect. I knew of his past heart attack, but did not know of Bowie's year and a half struggle with liver cancer.

I think this says it all.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VppuD1St8Ec

Damn that sucks, he was a good singer.

And a good actor who did well in Labyrinth, The Hunger, The Prestiage and more.

Nor was I, but I do admire his work. I also quite like The Man Who Sold the World. Thanks MGS5.

This one hurts. Didn't really get into Bowie until about 3 years ago. Blew me away how he could be such a vocal and stylistic chameleon. Rest in Peace you magnificent bastard.

RIP! Another music legend died and the world gets a little more sadder

I became a fan of David Bowie about 12 years ago. I've countless hours listening to him. I was really excited this past fall when Bowie announced not only a new album but that it would come out in January. I was shocked to hear the news but I was glad to see all the praise he was getting. I've honestly never seen so many people talk about him, I remember I've always been pretty alone when discussing him, even when his new record came out a few weeks ago. He meant to tour if I recall correctly and was hoping to finally see him live, sadly that will never happen now but I do think this last album was a love letter to his fans.

Blackstar is basically his testament and you should all buy it.

You're just going to leave that hook hanging, aren't you?

I just watched The Labrynith last night for the first time in ironic timing. I would not call it a classic, but one with a message to kids and brilliantly designed set pieces. Grade 89 B.

Fixed that for ya. ;)

So, a local tv channel played a movie that contained a character reminiscent of Bowie last Friday.
That's creepy as hell.

Sounds like how I was watching Twisted: The Untold Story of a Royal Vizier just as I learned that Robin Williams died, and earlier my brother was wanting to watch Aladdin on VHS. Needless to say, Twisted's Genie (Djinn) scene was very, very awkward.

I found an interesting article chronicling David Bowie's appearances on commercials throughout the years.
http://brandchannel.com/2016/01/11/d...rcials-011116/

Thought you guys might be interested in this, SquareEnix is giving away a free copy of Omikron: The Nomad Soul on the PC, It was a video game that David Bowie worked on back in 1999. The free download will expire on Jan 22nd, So get it while you still can.
https://store.na.square-enix.com/pro...ul-pc-download

I was shocked when I read the news about his death. RIP David Bowie. I had no idea he was fighting cancer.