Angie Bowie
Angie Bowie is an American model, actress and writer whose influence on David Bowie during the early 1970s extended far beyond their marriage. As a creative catalyst and cultural connector, she played a crucial role in the visual, social and conceptual environment that surrounded Bowie’s transformation into Ziggy Stardust.
While not a musician herself, Angie Bowie was deeply embedded in the artistic process, shaping the context in which Bowie’s most radical reinvention took place.
- Born: 1949, Cyprus
- Occupations: Model, actress, writer
- Married to Bowie: 1970–1980
- Associated era: Ziggy Stardust
Early life and background
Angie Bowie grew up in a cosmopolitan environment, developing a strong sense of individuality and openness toward alternative lifestyles and artistic expression. This outlook would later prove highly influential in her relationship with David Bowie.
Meeting David Bowie
Angie met David Bowie at the end of the 1960s, just as he was emerging from a period of artistic uncertainty. They married in 1970 and quickly formed a partnership that was as creative as it was personal.
The Ziggy Stardust environment
During the early 1970s, Angie Bowie was instrumental in cultivating the social and visual ecosystem that surrounded Bowie. From fashion and presentation to introductions within London’s underground scene, she helped create the conditions in which Ziggy Stardust could exist.
Gender, identity and performance
Angie’s unapologetic embrace of fluid identity and nonconformity reinforced Bowie’s willingness to challenge gender norms and sexual expectations. Their shared openness became a defining aspect of Bowie’s public image during the Ziggy era.
Life after Bowie
Following their divorce in 1980, Angie Bowie pursued her own career in acting and writing. Her memoirs offered a candid — and sometimes controversial — perspective on life alongside one of popular music’s most complex figures.
Legacy
Angie Bowie’s legacy within David Bowie’s story lies not in direct musical collaboration, but in her role as an enabler of transformation. She helped foster an environment where reinvention was not only possible, but inevitable.