About David Bowie

David Robert Jones (8 January 1947 – 10 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie, was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, Bowie is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. He was acclaimed by critics and musicians, particularly for his innovative work of the 1970s. His career was marked by reinvention and visual presentation, with his music and stagecraft significantly impacting popular music. During his lifetime, his record sales, estimated at over 100 million records worldwide, made him one of the best-selling music artists. Born and raised in Brixton, South London, Bowie developed an interest in music as a child, initially taking up the saxophone. He pursued art, music, and design, including studying under Lindsay Kemp, and began playing professionally in 1963. He released his debut album, *David Bowie*, in 1967 to little success. Bowie's breakthrough came in 1969 with the space-themed single "Space Oddity," which reached the top five of the UK Singles Chart. After a period of experimentation, he re-emerged in 1972 during the glam rock era with his flamboyant alter ego Ziggy Stardust. The album *The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars* (1972) and its accompanying concert tour established Bowie as a superstar. Bowie continued to evolve musically throughout the 1970s, exploring soul, funk, and electronic music. The Berlin Trilogy, consisting of the albums *Low* (1977), *"Heroes"* (1977), and *Lodger* (1979), produced in collaboration with Brian Eno, are considered groundbreaking works of art rock and electronic music. In the 1980s, Bowie achieved mainstream commercial success with the album *Let's Dance* (1983), which spawned several hit singles. He continued to tour and release albums throughout the 1990s and 2000s, experimenting with various genres and styles. His final studio album, *Blackstar*, was released on his 69th birthday, just two days before his death from liver cancer. Bowie was known for his distinctive baritone voice, his chameleon-like ability to adopt different personas, and his innovative use of visual imagery and performance. He was a pioneer of glam rock, art rock, and electronic music, and his influence can be heard in countless artists across various genres. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.