60 years of Bowie.

[AlbertCunning]

David Bowie is 60 today, and I want to know what impact The Dame, Ziggy Stardust, Aladdin Sane or The Thin White Duke have all made on your lives.

In the summer of 2004 I went to a concert of his in Oslo; in which a remarkable thing happened early on in the set, when he was hit in the eye by a 'flying' lollypop. It even got stuck for a few seconds.
Well, after a bit of swearing and stuff (at one point I thought the concert would be canceled for sure) he did continue, and I did find it remarkable knowing this man was almost 60, because he seemed so vigourous, particularly in the way he ended the show with 'Ziggy Stardust' and 'Suffragette City'.

A month later he did suffer some sort of heart-failure (don't remember the diagnosis), so I was reminded that even though he looked 40-ish, his body probably had gone through some ordeals, especially in the 70s.
Of course, he might have been in need of surgery at that stage in his life even if he didn't do all those drugs way back when -- life offers very few guarantees.

I've been a fan for about 15 years now.
Like most others, I do enjoy his work in the 70s particularly.
All the studio-albums he made between 1970 and 1980 are classics, perhaps with the exception of 'Pin-ups'(1973), his only album 100% consistent of cover-versions.
'The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars'(1972) is for some reason one of my least favourite albums of his of that period.
I think 'Hunky Dory' outshines it. As does 'Aladdin Sane'.
But 'Ziggy Stardust' represent the breakthrough in Bowie's career, so it's natural that a great number of people swear by that particular album.

What made him interesting was that he was always searching for something new. A new outlet for his creativity.
This led to him never really stagnating; well, not until the mid-eighties, when worldwide success took its toll, and he for once started giving people what he thought they wanted, rather than keep searching for some new expression.

In the 90s he started making interesting albums again, and from what I understand a new one will be released this year.
I for one am really looking forward to it.

Today is also the 72nd birthday of Elvis Presley, but I've never really been a fan, so the task of writing his homage will have to be carried out by someone else.

 

[D_Kay_Sarah_Sarah]

Bowie is good.

I must admit ive only just started listening to him but Ziggy is fast becoming a fav album

 

[Mr. Snakey]

To me there is no other.I have been a fan for over 30 years. I think his last 2 albums are two of the best he has ever done. I think i shall put my Heathen avatar up for his birthday:smile: Happy birthday Mr. Jones!!

 

[SpeedoGuy]

I've been a Bowie fan since high school.

 

[B_NineInchCock_160IQ]

He inspired Trent Reznor. Other than that, he hasn't had a big effect on my life. I like his album Outside, I like the song that he recorded with Trent and some of the stuff they did together live, and I enjoyed laughing at his bulge in Labrynth.

 

[rayray]

I was a room service waiter back in the mid-70's. I delivered to him. I always thought he was tall. I am 5'9 and he was about an inch shorter. He was touring with Iggy Pop at the time..

 

[Ethyl]

He's a god. 'Nuff said.

 

[Pecker]

The biggest mistake that he's made was possibly when he duetted with Crosby.

I actually appreciate Bowie more as an accomplished actor (The Hunger is a fav of mine.)

 

[Nelly Gay]

The biggest mistake that he's made was possibly when he duetted with Crosby.

I actually appreciate Bowie more as an accomplished actor (The Hunger is a fav of mine.)

He also made some awful movies .
"Labrynth", "Absolute Beginners" etc.
Few singers manage the transition to screen with much success.
Ask Madonna !

 

[Ethyl]

The biggest mistake that he's made was possibly when he duetted with Crosby.

I actually appreciate Bowie more as an accomplished actor (The Hunger is a fav of mine.)

Love, love, love that movie. The music is beautiful, too. I bought the soundtrack some years ago.

 

[rob_just_rob]

Love, love, love that movie. The music is beautiful, too. I bought the soundtrack some years ago.

Excellent flick. That was Bauhaus's breakthrough, too - one thing that is sometimes overlooked about Mr Bowie is his penchant for championing and encouraging new, unknown artists (Iggy, Bauhaus, etc.).

Huge fan of Mr. Bowie's here.

 

[Lordpendragon]

He flicked a V sign at me when I was trying to thumb a lift outside Geneva once. He still tells the story at dinner parties :smile:

 

[Ethyl]

Excellent flick. That was Bauhaus's breakthrough, too - one thing that is sometimes overlooked about Mr Bowie is his penchant for championing and encouraging new, unknown artists (Iggy, Bauhaus, etc.).

Huge fan of Mr. Bowie's here.

Now that you mention it that was my first exposure to Bauhaus and Peter Murphy. When my friends complained about "Nosferatu" not having any sound, i'd put on "Bela Lugosi's Dead" and replay it while watching the film.

Speaking of vampires...has anyone else noticed how well he's aged?

 

[rob_just_rob]

Now that you mention it that was my first exposure to Bauhaus and Peter Murphy. When my friends complained about "Nosferatu" not having any sound, i'd put on "Bela Lugosi's Dead" and replay it while watching the film.

Speaking of vampires...has anyone else noticed how well he's aged?

I was thinking that sometime around 1990, even.

 

[Shelby]

The biggest mistake that he's made was possibly when he duetted with Crosby.

I always thought pairing those two symbolized the idea that no matter how different we are we can all get along if we're willing to try.

I was moved when I first heard it.

 

[MASSIVEPKGO_CHUCK]

Yeah, I was surprised as well when I heard he turned 60yrs old. I can remember his last role was in Zoolander. And I can't get the image of him in Jim henson's Labrinth because my sis was big fan of him.

 

[AlbertCunning]

The biggest mistake that he's made was possibly when he duetted with Crosby

Not sure if I agree with that.
However, Bowie did kind of act like an angel of death in the autumn of 1977, inasmuch he did two duets, with Marc Bolan and Bing Crosby, and both ended up dead only in a matter of weeks.

 

[Mattness]

As a huge Boy George fan, I'm happy Bowie inspired him as well! :wink:

 

[AlbertCunning]

I was a room service waiter back in the mid-70's. I delivered to him. I always thought he was tall. I am 5'9 and he was about an inch shorter. He was touring with Iggy Pop at the time..

Was this 1977 as well?
I know they toured during that summer.
Bowie only played keyboards and sang back-up, I think.

In the mid-seventies(1974-1975) he did look quite tall, but at that time he weighed less than 100 lbs-- his diet at the time consisted mainly of cocaine and milk-- so it's no wonder the world got fooled into believing he was a 6-footer.

 

[Yorkie]

Ziggy Stardust was one of the first albums I ever bought,I was at high school and I was hooked straight away.My next purchases were his back catalogue and I've bought everything he's released since.
I've seen him live 6 times and I hope there are a few more to come.
Besides his own music and films he introduced me to other people's work such as The Velvet Underground,Iggy And The Stooges,the novels of William Burroughs.His influence on music since the 1970's is second to none.
Happy Birthday Mr.Bowie,a real hero.