In Honor of His Death, We Look at the Best David Bowie Moments
In honor of his death, we're reliving a few of the best moments of David Bowie's life.
“Ziggy Stardust” Redefines Rock
Bowie first emerged onto the scene in 1969, when his single “Space Oddity” became an unexpected hit in the UK. Little did anyone know that the "oddity" promised by the title would blossom into the central aspect of Bowie’s act. In 1972, Bowie created the character of Ziggy Stardust, an androgynous, sexually ambiguous, red-maned alien in rock star form; the character was the subject of Bowie’s concept album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and was meant to be the personification of the pure rock star. It also defined the enduring image of Bowie, who inhabited the character and his story on his tour for the album.
Responsible for Greatest Song of the 1980s
Bowie was wildly successful in the 1970s, but his greatest work came in collaboration with another one of rock's great acts. In 1981, Bowie got together with Freddie Mercury and the members of Queen to record the song “Cool Cat.” What actually emerged from their efforts was the completed song of “Under Pressure,” which, if not the greatest rock song of the ‘80s, is in contention for the title. Queen had been working on the tune for some time, but without finding the right formula; only with the addition of Bowie did it become the iconic ballad that it is now.
Creeps Out a Generation of Adolescent Boys
Bowie, in addition to being one of the great musical acts of the last century, is also an accomplished actor, having worked on and off in stage and theater since 1967 — before he had ever achieved musical success. Of all his roles — which include that of Pontius Pilate in The Last Temptation of Christ and a minor part in Christopher Nolan’s 2006 film The Prestige — his most infamous, and our favorite, is that of the goblin king Jareth in Labyrinth, facing off an uncomfortably beautiful 16-year-old Jennifer Connelly. Outside of those two, the film is largely built on muppets, and it wasn’t a success when it first came out, but something about the role of Jareth the Goblin King somehow encapsulates all that is Bowie.
Disses the Queen of England
In theory, being knighted is a significant event for any British cultural figure — but apparently not for David Bowie. The former Ziggy Stardust was offered a CBE in 2000 and a knighthood in 2003, but refused both, apparently deciding to maintain his antiestablishment rock star credibility. Frankly, it’s better off that way — no one who torments a young Jennifer Connelly should be allowed to be a knight. Still, if there’s any one person we wouldn’t want to disappoint, it’s probably the Queen of England.
[Pic via Wikimedia Commons - Photobra|Adam Bielawski]
