David Robert Jones famously known as David Bowie was born in London, England on January 8th, 1947. Bowie lived 69 years inspiring many and changing music forever! On January 10th, 2016, Bowie died due to liver cancer. This January will be the two year anniversary of his passing, but his work will live forever!
Here are 7 reasons why David Bowie was one of the most influential artists of the last 5 decades:
1. Bowie Was A Leading Figure In Popular Music For Over 5 Decades
David Bowie is not only a critically acclaimed artist but he is a very influential artist among many different genres. The blue and brown eyed king was estimated to have sold 140 million albums worldwide, which made him one of the world's best-selling artists. In the United Kingdom, Bowie released eleven number one albums along with nine platinum, eleven gold, and eight silver album certifications. In the United States, Bowie received five platinum and nine gold certifications, he was also initiated into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.
2. David Was Not Afraid To Stand Out!
David Bowie was known for his every changing and eccentric looks. He could go from a suit and tie to having red hair and vibrant makeup. Bowie even had some names for some of his iconic looks.
Ziggy Stardust
Thin White Duke
3. Bowie's Music Was Influenced By ALL Genres!
David Bowie was one of the first white artists to appear on the US variety show, Soul Train. His Soul Trainperformance included hit songs, Fame and Golden Years! As you can imagine, this was a BIG deal in the 70s and Bowie has stated, "I'm very drunk in this. I was very nervous so I had a couple of drinks, which I never do and I really shouldn't have. It's lovely. It's very funny." After the spread of Bowie's "plastic soul" album Young Americans and appearance on Soul Train, biographer Christopher Sanford concluded that Bowie had accomplished what, "most British rockers had tried, one way or another, to become black-by-extension. Few had succeeded as Bowie did now."
Bowie also crossed many other genres besides funk and soul. Psychedelic, rock, pop, and many other sounds were experimented with throughout Bowie's career. Examples of this are songs like Let's Dance, Modern Love, and Fashion.
4. Humanitarian Work
Once Bowie began his music career, he furthered his meaning in the world. He performed at multiple different causes and spoke out on injustices in the music industry. Bowie and his wife Iman donated and raised awareness for multiple causes including Live Aid, 7th on Sale, Raise Hope for Congo Campaign, Break the Cycle, Keep a Child Alive, and more! Below is a video of Bowie criticizing and questioning MTV for not playing videos of black artists.
5. Acting Career
David Bowie had many talents outside of his music career including acting. Bowie starred in many films during his acting career. Some of his most famous films are The Man Who Fell To Earth, Labyrinth, and Just a Gigolo. Bowie even won a Saturn Award for Best Actor for his role in The Man Who Fell To Earth.
6. Collaborations
David Bowie collaborated with hundreds of musicians, writers, and producers to create his every changing and experimental sound. This is why Bowie is such a unique artist. Here are five of Bowie's most famous collaborations.
Queen & Under Pressure
David Bowie collaborated with many artists whether it was co-writing or performing. One of Bowie's most famous collaborations was with Queen on the song Under Pressure. The song was written and produced by both Queen and Bowie and released in 1981.
John Lennon & Fame
Many fans don't know that John Lennon actually helped create Bowie's famous song Fame. In January 1975 after the two met while living in New York, Lennon and Bowie started jamming with each other. During their jam session, Carlos Alomar developed a guitar riff for a song Bowie was going to cover until Bowie explained he thought it was a waste to give to a cover. Lennon was in the studio at the time and began to sing the word "aim" over the riff, which Bowie changed to "fame." Bowie then continued to write the rest of the lyrics himself. Lennon's voice is can be heard in the falsetto "Fame" throughout the song.Fame is one of four of Bowie's songs to be included in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. Here is David Bowie's tribute to John Lennon three years after his death:
Mick Jagger & Dancing In The Street
The Rolling Stones singer, Mick Jagger teamed up with his good friend David Bowie to cover Dancing In The Street. Dancing In The Street is a song written by Marvin Gaye, William "Mickey" Stevenson and Ivy Jo Hunter. Bowie and Jagger's version of Dancing In The Street charted at No. 1 in the UK and reached No. 7 in the US!
Brian Eno & The "Berlin Trilogy"
David Bowie and Brian Eno collaborated on what became known as Bowie’s “Berlin Trilogy." The Berlin Trilogy includes Bowie's Low, Heroes, and Lodger albums. Each of these albums reached the UK's top 5. Rolling Stone magazine wrote that the "'Berlin Trilogy stands as some of the most innovative music in the artist's influential canon."
Luther Vandross & Young Americans
7. His Legacy Lives On
Many artists of all different genres and even movies/television continue to live by David's work. Here is a list of artists who have been touched by Bowie's work and covered/used his work.
Perks of Being a Wallflower
The Killers
Nirvana
Prince
The Smashing Pumpkins
Foster The People
CONAN
David Bowie 1947 - ∞
