The Many Names and Abilities of David Bowie

Today is the birthday of David Bowie - but when Bowie was born his name was David Jones.

It seems somewhat appropriate for an iconic musician who shed his apparent identity with each new album to have selected a new name to start his career.  Actually adopting a stage name is not all that uncommon, and David Jones/Bowie allegedly selected his new name thanks to the popularity of the bowie knife and a desire to not be confused with the Davy Jones who was heating up the music and television world as a Monkee.  But even with the Bowie moniker in place, David Jones became famous under yet another name…Ziggy Stardust.

It should probably be no surprise that an artist so talented at creating characters from his work would be equally adapt at fashioning concept albums.  Many of Bowie’s albums follow through a concept in form of character or world.  Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars was an exploration of the inner alien rock star – his success and corruption.  The album was influential in its visual attributes which were coined glam rock.  Bowie had toyed in the sci-fi realm earlier with the song Space Oddity at the time sci-fi was really just emerging as a vital component in everyday society from film (2001 A Space Odyssey) to the real moon landing.  Bowie’s future concept albums would draw on sci-fi elements from Diamond Dogs which gained life as an interpretation of George Orwell’s 1984 to Outside which took listeners to a dire future society where art could have dark origins and influence.  I greatly enjoy all of David Bowie’s work, but Outside is a particular favorite – although only after multiple listenings which I often find to be the case with Bowie’s innovatively rich out put.

Due to Bowie’s changing musical viewpoints, he is often referred to as a chameleon of music.  No surprise then that a character master should find his way to the theater.  Bowie portrayed John Merrick – better known as The Elephant Man – on the New York stage.  His film work has been more numerous – although still usually in a role of an outsider.  There is no surprise seeing him in The Man Who Fell To Earth as an alien seduced by Earth’s vices as he attempts to complete an mysterious mission.  Other notable roles of Bowie’s include his rapidly aging  vampyric character in The Hunger from directot Tony Scott and as cult favorite scientist Nikola Tesla in director Christopher Nolan’s enigmatic meditation on magic called The Prestige.

Of course Bowie’s contribution to film isn’t limited to acting.  He’s provided soundtracks to many notable films.  In fact his theme of Putting Out the Fire from the remake of Cat People is what first brought the David Bowie name to my attention!