David Bowie
From the Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that anyone can change
| David Bowie | ||
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 David Bowie in 1987
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| Background information | ||
| Birth name | David Robert Jones | |
| Also known as | "The Thin White Duke", "Ziggy Stardust" |
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| Born | January 8 1947 |
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| Origin |  Brixton, England |
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| Type(s) of music | Rock, Many more... | |
| Instrument(s) | vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards, saxophones, synthesizers, drums, percussion, harmonica, mandolin, koto, marimba, violin, cello, organ, vibraphone, stylophone | |
| Years active | 1964—present | |
| Website | www.davidbowie.com | |
David Bowie was born on January 8, 1947. His real name is David Robert Jones. He was born in Brixton, London, England. He is an important Rock musician, and also sometimes is an actor in movies.
Contents |
[change] Biography
[change] How David Jones became David Bowie
David Bowie grew up in Bromley, Kent. He played the saxophone, and was a singer in London blues bands. He uses the alias David Bowie because David Jones sounded too much like Davy Jones (of the The Monkees). He took the name Bowie from Jim Bowie, who invented the Bowie knife.
He became known to the public with the 1969 song Space Oddity. This was released when men first landed on the moon. The song is based on the movie 2001: A Space Oddysey by Stanley Kubrick.
[change] Ziggy Stardust
His album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars was released in 1972. It is one of the best-known David Bowie albums. As a result of his performance, David Bowie became a leader of Glam Rock.
Ziggy Stardust became David Bowie's second personality (alter ego). For a press-conference he would show up as Ziggy. Bowie let Ziggy Stardust come to an end during a liveconcert in the Hammersmith Odeon theatre (London) on July 3, 1973. In 1983 this show was released as movie and soundtrack (Ziggy Stardust - The Motion Picture).
[change] Los Angeles and Berlin
David Bowie settled in Los Angeles. He experimented with drugs, especially cocaine. A new second personality was The Thin White Duke. This was introduced on the Station to Station album in 1976. Some think this is his best album. The song Golden Years scored high in the pop charts.
After releasing Station to Station David Bowie moved to Berlin. He was interested in the German music scene, and wanted to end his drug abuse. In Berlin, he started to work with producer Brian Eno. David Bowie, in his turn, was producer for Iggy Pop. The Berlin Albums are Low (1977), Heroes (1977) and Lodger (1979).
[change] David Bowie in The Eighties
David Bowie left Berlin in 1980. The last album at that moment was Scary Monsters... And Super Creeps. In 1981 he had a big hit with Under Pressure, together with Queen.
[change] Tin Machine
In 1989 David Bowie formed a new band. This was his first real band since the seventies. The band was called Tin Machine. With this band David Bowie recorded three albums: Tin Machine (1989), Tin Machine II (1991) and Oy Vey, Baby (1992).
[change] From nineties to today
By the nineties, David Bowie had become more interested in soul, jazz and hip hop. This was first noticed on the album Black Tie, White Noise.
[change] Genres
David Bowie covers many genres including art rock, hard rock, glam rock, alternative rock, krautrock, protopunk, post-punk, electronica, Blue-eyed soul, New Wave, Industrial, Techno, Jazz, Dance music, Funk, Disco, Experimental rock, Folk, Instrumental, Ambient and house.
[change] Albums
- David Bowie (1967)
- Space Oddity (1969)
- The Man Who Sold The World (1970)
- Hunky Dory (1971)
- The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars (1972)
- Aladdin Sane (1973)
- Pin Ups (1973)
- Diamond Dogs (1974)
- David Live (1974)
- Young Americans (1975)
- Station To Station (1976)
- Low (1977)
- "Heroes" (1977)
- Stage (1978)
- Lodger (1979)
- Scary Monsters... And Super Creeps (1980)
- Let's Dance (1983)
- Ziggy Stardust - The Motion Picture (1983/1973)
- Tonight (1984)
- Never Let Me Down (1987)
- Tin Machine * (1989)
- Tin Machine II * (1991)
- Oy Vey, Baby * (1992)
- Black Tie White Noise (1993)
- The Buddha Of Suburbia (1993)
- Santa Monica '72 (1994/1972)
- 1. Outside (1995)
- Earthling (1997)
- hours... (1999)
- Heathen (2002)
- Reality (2003)
(* = Tin Machine)
[change] Filmography (selection)
- The Image (1969)
- The Man Who Fell To Earth (1976) - Thomas Jerome Newton
- Just a Gigolo (1979) - Paul
- Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983) - Maj. Jack 'Strafer' Celliers
- Labyrinth (movie) (1986) - Jareth, the Goblin King
- The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) - Pontius Pilate
- Mr. Rice's Secret (2000) - Mr. Rice
