The Man Who Fell to Earth
IWAS four years old when David Bowie stepped out on a television stage to launch his Ziggy Stardust persona to the world. We didn’t own TV – music magazines and newspapers told the story but the impact and the reaction Ziggy generated was lost on me at the time. It’s understandable that a generation of youth would want to grab onto his coat tails and escape the humdrum of 1960s conservative life, just as the ‘50s embraced Elvis. But on reading the reams of tributes and memorials, it’s fascinating to think the most shocking aspect of Ziggy was not his outrageous red spikey hair – the polar opposite to the shiny man-bobs of the day – or his skin tight glittery onesie, clinging to his stick insect body and leaving nothing to the imagination or the vinyl platform boots – all again a complete 180 to the brown safari suit trends of the day. No, what was most shocking seems to have been the fact that Bowie had put his arm around another man. Given Bowie was an artist in the true sense of the word and fashioned in those years largely by his American wife, Angie, hell bent on marketing him to stardom, his personal world was unaccustomed to repression and embraced the different. With this simple and, looking at the video clip, quiet innocent looking gesture – just a “hanging around with a mate” embrace – he rocked the world. He was able to say “dare to be different, ignore the critics, they’ll never go away”. Really all we could do was sit back, watch and enjoy the show. “I don’t know where I’m going but I know it will be interesting.” So, famously, said David Bowie who made sure everything he did was interesting. Everyone it seems has a David Bowie story. The moment or moments when he entered their lives in song, on film, in fashion or art and left an indelible and in some cases life changing mark. Naturally, his death has made headlines around the world and dominated social media as talk of his extraordinary life escalated – 4.7million comments on Twitter alone in the first 48 hours following the news of Bowie’s death, ringing in curation as the new obituary.
Now as details of his illness, kept secret for so long, and his determination to leave one last gesture of expression for the world emerge, his album Blackstar dominates charts heading to number one… for one last time. Spectacular to the last, the name David Bowie, is synonymous with daring and courage. His 12 month long persona of Ziggy Stardust (1971-72), although now decades old and born in a completely different world, continues to resonate, break boundaries and speak to people with the message that it’s okay to be different and to stand apart. Talented in so many ways, his resume of films is also extraordinary and spans decades. Memorial and tribute concerts and an online outpouring of grief, gratitude and love for David Bowie, ensure “the man who fell to earth”, will live on for a very long time to come.
Mel Murray:
David Bowie was an artistic genius. His body of work will be celebrated beyond his life time. His loss has left a creative void that will be hard to fill in an industry that needs those who stand out to rise to the top. In the last several days music journalists and fans alike have written so poetically about his music and his films. For me, David Bowie was a beacon of hope for anyone who dared to be different – living proof that outside the tiny circle that as a teenager feels like your whole world, there are people and places that celebrate the unusually and the creative. Once I had let the news of his death sink in I put “Heroes” on the record player and then spent the night curled up with my daughter watching the Labyrinth and shedding a quiet tear. Thank you David Bowie for everything. For my part I will ensure the love for your lyrics and your way of being in the world continues on in the heart of a wide eyed 4 year old. Travel safe.
Kris Stevens:
I was living in California and watching a lot of MTV when the single and film clip was released for Let’s Dance. I’ll never forget the images of the Warrumbungles and how it made me feel each time I saw it on TV ... I love all of his work, but this track is one of my favourites.
Jeff Meyers:
The man who invented reinvention. An innovator and musical genius right to the end with a critically acclaimed new album released two days before his death. I was privileged to see him live in 1983 (Serious Moonlight Tour) and 1987 (Glass Spider). And he was a pretty decent actor as well.
Jen Cowley
So many Bowie songs are mnemonics for good times and bad, tragedies and triumphs and just bloody good times in my life. Yes, it’s a loss ... but what an incredible legacy to leave. Imagine being able to give that kind of gift to the world.
Andrew Foley
I was in a Singapore metro station with thousands of commuters rushing past me the moment I saw the passing of David Bowie flash as an RSS feed on my mobile phone screen. I was standing still to pause the call to send a file but hung up on immediately and went to the BBC webpage, which confirmed he was gone. It was all-surreal amplified by the metro emptying between train arrivals. One of my larger than life youth icons who I was lucky enough to see twice in concert - Serious Moonlight in Sydney and Glass Spider tours in Melbourne was gone. A truly unique era has ended.