In memoriam: David Robert Jones alias David Bowie

11.01.2016

In memoriam: David Bowie

The year 2015 somehow ended bad with the death of famous rock singer and bassist Ian Fraser ''Lemmy'' Kilmister and it starts on a negative note with the death of famous rock and pop musician David Bowie whose impressive career lasted for an incredible fifty-four years.

Both veteran musicians died of cancer. My maternal grand-mother, my paternal grand-father and even my father had cancer as well. It's one of the most horrible diseases in our world and something I'm honestly scared of. Whenever I hear someone got diagnosed with this disease, it makes me realize that you have to live your life to the fullest no matter what because you never know when fate strikes.

But let's not drown in darkness and remember the stunning career of this extraordinary British musician who has influenced several generations. When I was a kid, I wasn't exactly fond of him even though my father adored him quite a lot and listened to several of his albums with me. I always thought that David Bowie wasn't the most emotional singer and couldn't find any connection to him. Today, it's certainly a different thing.

Today I know that he may not have been convincing on a technical level but definitely on a creative one. There aren't many artists or bands who have had number one records between 1967 and 2016. David Bowie's eponymous first record made it to the top of the charts when it was released in Austria and New Zealand. His breakthrough took place two years later with the futuristic pop song ''Space Oddity'', a visonary masterpiece that made it to the peak position of the British single charts.

In the early seventies, he played the music that would become commercially successful in the late seventies and tracks like ''The Jean Genie'' (1972) and ''Rebel Rebel'' (1974) were played in any Western discotheque with a good reputation. His lyrics predicted the lights and shades of the Cold War with tracks like the charismatic ''Heroes'' (1977) which became an anthem for hope, love and peace of an entire generation and got him the definite status of an icon, especially in Germany. This artist proved that true lyrical depth and catchy commercial music could work together. His lyrics were a welcome change from the usual songs about romantic relationships.

David Bowie's collaborations are also legendary since he played with the greatest musicians of his generation. He recorded ''Under Pressure'' (1981) with famous British rock band Queen, ''Tonight'' (1984) with American rhythm and blues singer Tina Turner, ''Dancing in the Street'' (1985) with Mick Jagger of Rolling Stones fame, ''Hallo Spaceboy'' (1996) with British electronic pop duo Pet Shop Boys and ''Without You I'm Nothing'' (1999) with British alternative rock band Placebo.

He formed English-American hard rock band Tin Machine and released two successful albums with them (1989 & 1991).

After a longer hiatus, David Bowie released his two last studio records ''The Next Day'' (2013) and ''Blackstar'' (2016). The latter one is his twenty-fifth and final studio album which is a mixture of art rock and avant-garde jazz. It includes several lyrical hints where he predicts his own death. David Bowie had been diagnosed with cancer about one year and a half ago but never made any public announcement about it. That's why his death came as a complete surprise to everyone but his closest family members, including his son and film director Duncan Bowie and Somalian wife and model Imam Mohamed Abdulmajid. David Bowie wasn't just an outstanding and visionary musician but also a style icon and one of the first overtly bisexual artists.

Now it's time to listen to a short selection of his greatest hits. I'm aware of the fact that ten songs are not enough to represent this unique artist but it might be a good starting point if you want to discover this musician's outstanding career. I will keep spinning these songs over the next few days and might buy one or two compilations or maybe his most recent release which only came out a few days ago. May this iconic artist rest in peace.

''Liza Jane'' (1964)