David Bowie dead: Giant in both music and movies dies at age 69

David Bowie over the years
David Bowie over the years

Following an 18 month battle with cancer that the public only learned about with his passing, David Bowie has died just two days after his 69th birthday.  His struggle with liver cancer had been kept private at his request and his publicist reports that he was surrounded by his family.

His musical career began at the tender age of 15 when he formed his first band.  The early years were not filled with success but then came this song:

Space Oddity was the launching pad of a musical career that included seven #1 albums in the UK, and two #1 hits on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.  His music career spanned more than four decades and he released a new album two days before his death that was receiving critical acclaim before word of his passing began to spread.  He was a musician who loved to experiment with different musical styles and genres.  This led to Bowie being only the fifth non-Black artist to appear on the iconic TV music show Soul Train.  His lyrics were haunting, stunning and memorable all at once.

But music was not Bowie’s only talent.  He was an excellent actor with an impressive filmography for someone whose focus was on his music.  The Man Who Fell To Earth, Merry Christmas Mister Lawrence, The Hunger, Labyrinth and The Prestige are just some of the best from his film credits.  This might be his best moment on the big screen:

In a 1976 interview David Bowie announced to the world that he was gay, a declaration he modified four year later in another interview.  Playboy Magazine asked in that 1976 interview how much of Bowie’s bisexuality was real and how much was gimmick.  He replied, ” It’s true—I am a bisexual. But I can’t deny that I’ve used that fact very well. I suppose it’s the best thing that ever happened to me. Fun, too. We’ll talk all about it.”  Then in a 1983 interview with Rolling Stone Magazine he called his choice to announce his bisexuality as “…the biggest mistake I ever made.”


David Bowie was married twice.  His marriage to his second wife, supermodel Iman, lasted more than 23 years.  He is survived by her and his two children.

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