Saluting David Bowie

This is Ground Control to Major Tom. David Bowie has left us. Today we salute the man that never saw himself as anything more than someone that enjoyed performing. Just days after his 69th birthday and the release of his latest album, Blackstar, David Bowie died Sunday after an “18-month battle with cancer,” according to a post on his official Facebook and Twitter accounts. The posts were confirmed by Bowie’s press rep. The full post reads, “David Bowie died peacefully today surrounded by his family after a courageous 18 month battle with cancer. While many of you will share in this loss, we ask that you respect the family’s privacy during their time of grief.” Bowie son, Duncan Jones, also confirmed his father’s death on Twitter, writing, “Very sorry and sad to say it’s true. I’ll be offline for a while. Love to all.” One of the most important figures in the history of rock, Bowie was born David Robert Jones on January 8th, 1947 in South London. He rose to prominence in 1969 with the British hit “Space Oddity,” having adopted the surname Bowie to avoid confusion with Monkees singer Davy Jones, and went on to have one of the most successful, influential and lengthy careers in rock history. He earned the nickname the Chameleon of Rock for his ever-changing look and ability to switch musical styles. Bowie first gained notice as a singer/songwriter, but soon latched onto the burgeoning glam-rock scene with the invention of his androgynous alter-ego Ziggy Stardust and 1972’s landmark album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars. By 1975, he re-invented himself as a blue-eyed soul singer scoring hit single “Fame” from the album Young Americans. After the commercial success, he took another left turn by collaborating with producer Brian Eno on a trio of albums, including “Heroes,” recorded in Berlin. The title track from that album became one of Bowie’s most enduring songs, with the singer notably performing it at The Concert for New York, a tribute to 9/11 first responders. Bowie enjoyed another career resurgence in 1983 with the album Let’s Dance, co-produced with Nile Rodgers. The album spawned three huge hits – the title track, “Modern Love” and “China Girl.” He also enjoyed success as an actor, appearing in the lead role in a Broadway production of The Elephant Man in 1980 and ’81, and starring in a number of films, including 1976’s The Man Who Fell to Earth, 1983’s The Hunger and Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. In 2004, Bowie suffered a heart attack while performing in Germany and had emergency angioplasty. As a result, he dramatically curtailed live appearances and recording. On January 8th, 2013, he surprised fans with the news The Next Day, his first studio album in a decade, would be released. His new album, Blackstar, also came as somewhat of a surprise. It features Bowie and a group of New York jazz musicians performing seven songs. The title track doubles as the theme for a new European crime drama series called The Last Panthers. Another song, "Lazarus," is the title track to Bowie's off-Broadway musical, which runs until January 20th. Bowie is survived by his wife, model-turned-businesswoman Iman, their daughter Alexandria Zahra Jones and his son, Duncan Jones.