"Look up here… I'm in heaven… Oh, I'll be free. Ain't that just like me?"
Yes! Just like the "bluebird", he's whirling high in heaven and smiling down on us with that lightning bolt face paint, colorful costumes, eye patches and beyond everything, the spirited music.
In the annals of history, few artistes possessed the power to influence generations over many decades and the master musician and actor David Bowie was among them.
One of the pioneering inspirations of Glam Rock, singer and actor David Bowie was born on January 8, 1947 and breathed his last on January 10, 2016.
In his five decade-long career as a musician, Bowie revolutionised the face of popular music and influenced more musical genres than any other star in the music history simply because the star icon never stuck with any particular style and instead he continued to experiment with new forms and layers of music till the day he died. His songs fell in various categories like pop, rock ‘n roll, funk and psychedelic.
A gifted singer indeed, his baritone vocals possessed tremendous range. From soulful romantic crooning to horror wailing, Bowie could sing all kinds of song with aplomb thanks to the unique theatrical bent in his voice.
Bowie’s breakthrough into the world of rock music came in 1969 with the hit ‘Space Oddity’. The track was his gateway to a global audience and successfully made him a cult. Many other chartbusters followed, including ‘Let’s Dance’, ‘Rebel Rebel ‘, Starman’, ‘Heroes’ and ‘Aladdin Sane’ which were unique in their style of music and genres alike.
As a complete showman, Bowie invested a lot of time and hardwork on his look. The heavy make-up, colourful facemasks, glittering boots were all part of the act. Many credit him for adding the much needed razzmatazz to the world of rock ‘n’ roll back in the day. In fact, Glam Rock was at its peak in the 70’s as a new subculture and Bowie was the poster boy of this new era.
Fondly named the “chameleon of the rock” by fellow rockstars and fans for his versatile singing, Bowie made a habit of creating a new character with every song. ‘Ziggy Stardust’, ‘Thin White Duke’, ‘Major Tom’, ‘Aladdin Sane’ among others are some of his most memorable avatars which have left a lasting impression on his fans and created a significant impact on the society.
And these alter egos were not just for entertaining people. They were a sign of his rebellion towards the society and its norms. A one man army against the world, Bowie was a radical throughout his career who never believed in any gender boundary and promoted androgyny as a cool trait the loud and flamboyant alter egos.
The flashy characters did manage to break social taboos and ruffled the feathers of the orthodox. It probably was the first time in the history of music that all genders were welcomed at his gig.
Bowie, indeed was a genius who used music, hypnotic album arts, stage settings, paintings and acting to bring about a positive change in the society.
Apart from music, the music icon dappled with acting. Beginning with acting for TV series such as Theatre 625, Bowie played leading roles in several films such as The Man Who Fell to Earth, The Hunger, Labyrinth and Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence among others, and won few awards. He won Saturn Award for best actor in his role in The Man Who Fell to Earth.
Ironically, three days before his death on January 10, Bowie released his last single ‘Lazarus’, which coincidentally talks about death and the video shows the singer trapped in a hospital bed with bandages covering his eyes. The haunting video was seen as a parting gift by the singer to his fans.