January 10, 2016

David Bowie ~ The Man Who Stole the World's Heart




David Bowie died today. Somehow, I never imagined that would happen! I was stunned when I heard the news; he had cancer but I wasn't aware of it. He carefully planned his end. There is an article about this in the Guardian (link below). He was 69 years old.     

I recall seeing him on September 17, 1983, during his Serious Moonlight Tour at the Oakland Coliseum; I had also seen Pink Floyd there years earlier.   




It was the transition from his previous androgynous glam rock look . . .   

on TV show TopPop - 1974



. . . and he looked fantastic! 

 photo by Denis O’Regan
 
 I don't think I've ever seen a man so stylishly and impeccably dressed.


There are so many of his songs I like. My favorites are, Cat People (Putting out Fire), from the 1982 film, Cat People, starring Nastassja Kinski, and featured on the Let's Dance album. Recorded in July 1981, the song was written by Bowie with producer Giorgio Moroder, a pioneer of synth disco and electronic music.   

Another favorite song is "Heroes", from the album of the same name, written by David Bowie and Brian Eno in 1977.  

Bowie also made many films. My favorite was the 1976, Sci-Fi movie, The Man Who Fell to Earth. He received the Saturn Award for Best Actor for this film. Some of the music used in the film was by John Phillips, of The Mamas & the Papas, and Japanese percussionist-composer Stomu Yamashta,  

The photo at the top of the page is David Bowie in the ‘Tokyo Pop’ vinyl bodysuit designed by Yamamoto Kansai for the Aladdin Sane Tour, 1973.  



"I don't know where I'm going from here, but I promise it won't be boring."
                                               - David Bowie 
(Madison Square Gardens on his 50th birthday)



Net links:      

David Bowie articles on the Viewfinder:
       
David Bowie 1 ~ Hunky Dory        
David Bowie 2 ~ The Man Who Sold the World
David Bowie 3 ~ Aladdin Sane      
David Bowie 4 ~ Pin Ups
David Bowie 5 ~ Space Oddity         
      


Discography     
Filmography              



The Guardian ~ David Bowie Planned His End   

Obituaries:
            
The New York Times
BBC News
The Guardian     
The Hollywood Reporter        


David Bowie songs on YouTube:   
       
"Heroes"            
           

   

He is gone but his work will live on forever!


Styrous® ~ Sunday, January 10, 2016 


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2 comments:

  1. My Dear Maxi:

    at 11:52 last night, my daughter texted me that DB died, just moments after he died....literally. I was beyond stund, he was my cultural torch and my search light tower.....he paved the way, he gave us permission to say, to be, and to rage.....He was truly a renaissance man, in every way. I read the book "The Man Who Sold The World" which got into everything he created and penetrated his psyche. I shall miss him.....terribly!! What a loss!
    Thank you, thank you for writing this tribute for having all these disc and filmographies.....and posting sites where the generation who did not know him, will discover him for themselves. Thank you for being here, my dear friend.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you Max for this tribute. With your permission I'll share it.

    ReplyDelete

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