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David Bowie

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Born:
January 8, 1947, he's 65 and British.
Names:
Birthname: David Robert Jones. Alternative names: The Thin White Duke & Ziggy Stardust.
Snapshot:
An Artist with 172 releases, a member of 4 groups, and credited 38 times on others' music. 20 collaborations and 1 musical relative.

Biography

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David Robert Jones (known as David Bowie) was one of the most innovative pop stars of the 20th Century. Beginning as a fey singer-songwriter, Bowie repeatedly re-invented himself to stay fresh and interesting to the public, earning the tag "rock chameleon" because of his versatility over a 40-year career in music.

Bowie's first success was the hit single "Space Oddity", with the famous opening line "Ground control to Major Tom...". Third album The Man Who Sold the World (1970) was the first to really show Bowie's potential - with Mick Ronson on guitar and Tony Visconti on bass, it was a heavy rock record that startled the critics. Hunky Dory (1971) was a lighter, theatrical follow-up and often thought to be Bowie's first true classic. It was followed by Bowie's first major costume-change - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972) was a melodramatic glam-rock concept album with a revelatory flair, telling the story of a premonitory and androgynous alien. Bowie (with Ronson) then produced Lou Reed's breakthrough solo album Transformer, before returning with a similar Ziggy album Aladdin Sane (1973). Now at the height of his commercial success, Bowie dropped the Ziggy persona and prepared to change again - from the glam-rock swansong of Diamond Dogs (1974), to the Philadelphia soul of Young Americans (1975), to the funky krautrock of Station to Station (1976) (in the guise of another alter ego, the "Thin White Duke"). After incessant touring and a crippling cocaine addiction, Bowie moved to West Berlin in an attempt to rest and get clean. Here he teamed up with Brian Eno and Iggy Pop for the avant-garde 'Berlin Trilogy' - Low and "Heroes" (both 1977), and Lodger (1979). These are now considered huge critical successes - particularly the former two, which are regularly suggested as contenders for the honour of Bowie's greatest ever record. Combining short, jagged guitar tracks with lingering, atmospheric synthesizers, the Berlin Trilogy represented an about-turn for rock music, and a new benchmark for adventurous rock musicians. Considering that Bowie also produced two outstanding albums for Iggy Pop in 1977 - The Idiot and Lust For Life - this was an incredibly prolific period.

In 1980, Bowie's style changed again with Scary Monsters' rambling, clattering pop, which included a single, "Ashes to Ashes", that again referred to Major Tom. That was his last great album, although he continued to sell millions of every record he released - particularly 1983's Let's Dance, which was co-produced by celebrated disco guitarist Nile Rogers.

Music

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Genres

Glam Rock,
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Discography

216 releases – 172 under his own name, 10 in other groups and 38 credits on others' music Edit
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Collaborations, Groups and Family
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David Bowie

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In the News

Bowie Tribute Album In The Pipeline

Jan, 7 2010

David Bowie is the latest star to be the subject of a Manimal Vinyl tribute album, with a horde of big names and emerging artists signed up to cover their favorite Thin White Duke songs for the benefit of charity. Ironically, the “Heroes” singer’s tribute will benefit War Child, who provide assistance to children in areas of conflict across the globe; last year they released their own covers album and called it Heroes. Duran Duran are signed up to deliver a version of Bowie’s Lodger cut “Boys Keep Swinging,” while Carla Bruni will tackle “Absolute Beginners” and Devendra Banhart is planning to contribute a Spanish-sung version of Low’s “Sound + Vision.” Australian electro duo MGMT are also penciled in for a track, but it’s yet to be announced while record label red tape is cleared. Belgian’s Soulwax – rock band by day, mash-up DJs by night – are also appearing, as will John Frusciante, the Vivian Girls and Chairlift. Manimal Vinyl have previously compiled tribute albums to Madonna and The Cure.

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