David Bowie has died after a battle with cancer. He was 69. His son, film director Duncan Jones, confirmed the news and a statement was issued on his social media accounts.
Bowie’s hits include Let’s Dance, Space Oddity, Starman, Modern Love, Heroes, Under Pressure, Rebel, Rebel, and Life on Mars. He was also well known for creating his flamboyant alter ego Ziggy Stardust. The singer, who had been living in New York in recent years, had released his latest album Blackstar on his birthday on Friday.
David Bowie (then Jones) was born in Brixton, London. His mother was Irish and his father was a Yorkshireman. The family moved to Bromley, in Kent, when David was six.
As a child, David was fascinated by the records his father brought home, of Fats Domino, and Little Richard, among others. His half-brother Terry also introduced him to the likes of Charles Mingus and John Coltrane.
In 1962, Bowie formed his first band, the Konrads. He later went on to perform under the name Davie Jones, or Davy Jones. To avoid confusion with Davy Jones of The Monkees, he chose the stage name David Bowie.
His first, eponymous album was released by Deram Records, an offshoot of Decca. However, it wasn’t until the 1969 release of Space Oddity, which coincided with the first moon landing, that Bowie hit the big time.
In 1970, David Bowie married his first wife, Angela. They had a son, known as Zowie, but officially named Duncan Zowie Haywood Jones. Angie and David were divorced after eight years of marriage. David’s second marriage was to the Somalian model, Iman Abdulmajid, in 1992. The pair have one child, daughter Alexandria Zahra Jones.
In 1972, Bowie adopted the androgynous persona of Ziggy Stardust and released The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars. Many tracks from the album have since been hailed as classics, including Suffragette City, and Moonage Daydream.
In 1989, Bowie formed the band Tin Machine with Reeves Gabrels, Tony Sales and Hunt Sales. The debut album, Tin Machine, released in 1989, went to number three in the UK charts.
In the late 1990s, David Bowie experienced a rejuvenated music career, with the release of Earthling, his well-respected foray into the world of drum ‘n’ bass. This success continued in the early 21st century, with the dark electronica of Heathen.
