The Man Who Changed the World

On 10th January 2016, we lost yet another legend to cancer – this time, it was David Bowie's turn to bid farewell.

The Man Who Changed the World

David Bowie was no ordinary man – he was a musician, an actor, an LGBT activist, an artist, and an overall artistic revolutionary. Bowie achieved all this in over 50 years, but what exactly made him so special?

He began making music in 1965, and released his debut David Bowie in 1966. However, he became more than a mere musician when he released Ziggy Stardust in 1972, bringing along with him an iconic androgynous image and a fabulous musicianship that reached out the miserable teens of the early 70s and inspired millions across the world for half a century onwards.

At the start of his career, David Bowie became well known for his youth-appealing lyrics that captured the isolation and angst of human nature, which continued to evolve into his well-known art rock style. He was also well known for his constant change in appearance – from the glam Ziggy Stardust to the happy hipster he was before he passed away. This change helped to keep him relevant with the younger generation, and thus presented him with an extremely chameleonic image.

Personally, the most saddening part about his life was the end – "Blackstar" has now become his final album, released two days before his death. Bowie had been battling with liver cancer for 18 months, and died two days after his birthday. Blackstar's producer has since confirmed that he saw the album as his parting gift. In his usual style, Bowie made sure he went out with a bang, so now the album reflects a life well lived, and now the whole world celebrates his life and the artistic icon that was David Bowie. Even in death, nothing has changed.


Image: Piano Piano via Flickr

Author

Luke Taylor

Luke Taylor Contributor

I work as the Network Administrator for Voice. Having completed my apprenticeship at Unit Twenty Three, I continue my work supporting Voice and the Youth Network in whatever way possible. Music is my passion, and I will happily talk about all the bands you've probably never heard of!

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3 Comments

  • Bhavesh Jadva

    On 12 January 2016, 16:27 Bhavesh Jadva Voice Team commented:

    There'll be a spate of memorial concerts for a long time now just to remind the world how great he was!

  • Sally Trivett

    On 12 January 2016, 17:31 Sally Trivett Voice Team commented:

    I've spoken to a lot of people about his death, and the one thing that we all agree on is that despite his relatively short life span, he lived a thousand lives within it, both physically and metaphorically. His work inspired generations, and paved the way for creative revolution. He will be missed.

  • Diana Walton

    On 13 January 2016, 17:53 Diana Walton Voice Team commented:

    What an extaordinary artist, fearlessly experimenting yet always grabbing the attention of a new generation. Walking through London yesterday all I could hear was his music, playing in bars, flower shops, car radios...A mighty legacy!

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