A Timeline of David Bowie’s Life:
A Star is Born
A boy falls to Earth named David Robert Hayward-Jones; he lands in Brixton, London.
Relocating to the Cultural Wilderness
The young David “Bowie” Jones moves to the suburban neighbourhood of Bromley. He was never a fan, describing the suburbs as a place without any culture of its own – devoid of the art of the city or the high-class ideals of the country.
The Voice of God
The young Bowie begins to excel in his school’s newly introduced “Music and Movement” lessons. This fuels an interest in American 45s. He hears Little Richard’s “Tutti Frutti” and later comments that it was like he “heard God”.
Turning Bohemian
His schizophrenic maternal half-brother Terry Burns notices his younger brother’s musical potential and introduces him to modern jazz, beat literature and the occult. “All this led me into songwriting.” – David Bowie.
An Eye for Individualism
A playground squabble over Bowie stealing a date from a school friend results in a punch in the eye. His eternally enlarged pupil creates a sense of visual individualism. “[Bowie] said to me later, I did him a favour [it gave him that enigmatic look… ‘people always talk about the eyes’]” – George Underwood.
Sound and Vision
Young Bowie is given his first musical instrument – a Grafton saxophone. He begins imitating his heroes Charles Mingus and John Coltrane during family talent shows in the living room.
The Konrads
Bowie forms his first band, The Konrads. They play a rock ’n’ roll hybrid with Bowie on tenor sax. In later school career meetings, Bowie boldly announces: “I want to be in a modern jazz quartet.”
Moving On
Encouraged by Jack Kerouac’s On The Road, Bowie feels liberated and sets about making headway in bohemian London. “I suppose for me as an artist it wasn’t just about expressing my work; I really wanted, more than anything else, to contribute in some way to the culture I was living in,” he remarked.
The Birth of Bowie
Bowie ditches the name Davy Jones and officially adopts the moniker we now know him by. “I liked the idea that the Bowie knife was sharpened on both sides – so it cuts both ways. I felt there was something terribly ambiguous about the name.”
The Start of Endless Flops
David Bowie releases his debut album. It is a monumental flop and fails to chart. The BBC calls him “devoid of personality” and dismisses his group’s performance: “[There is] no entertainment in anything they do – an inoffensive pleasant nothing.”
Countdown to Lift-Off
Bowie receives his first recognition with “Space Oddity”, a song caricaturing the space race. The track lands him a number-five UK hit. Bowie never liked the song; producer Tony Visconti called it “a cheap shot – a gimmick to cash in on the moonshot.”
Wedding Bells
Bowie marries Angela Barnett. “Watching David write was inspiring to me. He was at his most content composing. Music floated from his mind and fingertips.” – Angie Bowie.
The Man Who Flopped Again
Bowie’s honeymoon period is spent in an abandoned mansion with a bohemian coterie of friends. It’s here that he crafts The Man Who Sold the World. It flops once more.
Glastonbury to the Rescue
Ready to quit music, Bowie is invited to play Glastonbury. The performance saves his career. “I just want to say that you’ve given me more pleasure than I’ve had in a good few months of working… and it’s really nice to have somebody appreciate me for a change.”
Everything Is Hunky Dory
Enthused by Glastonbury, Bowie releases Hunky Dory, his most successful album to date. “It provided me, for the first time in my life, with an actual audience – people coming up to me and saying, ‘Good album, good songs.’”
The Birth of a Rock Star
David Bowie invents the rock ’n’ roll character Ziggy Stardust and changes the way people look at music. “I’m very happy with Ziggy. I think he was a very successful character, and I think I played him very well,” he said. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust… perhaps the greatest album of all time, nevertheless only charts at #5 in the UK and #75 in the US.
The Fall of Ziggy Stardust
Despite the growing success and one of the greatest tours in history, Bowie announces to the crowd at the Hammersmith Odeon: “Of all the shows on this tour, this particular show will remain with us the longest… Because not only is it the last show of the tour, but it’s the last show that we’ll ever do. Thank you.”
Powdering the Nose
Bowie produces the masterful albums Aladdin Sane, Pin Ups, Diamond Dogs and Young Americans while battling substance abuse. “I never really felt like a rock singer or a rock star… from ’72 through ’76, I was the ultimate rock star.”
The Berlin Excursion
Bowie and his friend Iggy Pop abscond to Berlin to get sober and creative. “David went to Berlin with Iggy for isolation… to humanise his condition, to say, ‘I’d like to forget my world, go to a café, have a coffee and read the newspaper.’”
You Go Your Way and I’ll Go Mine
Bowie files for divorce from Angie. She later comments: “Looking back, I can see that my life with David was moulded by forces beyond my control and even my understanding. Still, I don’t regret trying.”
Get Me a Hit!
Following the success of Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps), Bowie makes a dash for the mainstream. He recruits Nile Rodgers; together they craft Let’s Dance and secure his stardom forever. “He wanted a hit album. It was one of the greatest moments of my entire career.” – Nile Rodgers.
The Goblin King
Bowie stars in Jim Henson’s cult classic Labyrinth as Jareth, the Goblin King, introducing his work to a new generation. “He was funny and gracious and made me feel so comfortable,” – Jennifer Connelly.
The Big Disappointment
Bowie followed Let’s Dance with another #1 album, Tonight. Never Let Me Down failed to make it three on the bounce. “It didn’t make me feel good. I felt dissatisfied with everything I was doing, and eventually, it started showing in my work.”
Another Career, Another Town
Bowie forms a new band named Tin Machine. “I met Bowie when I was in Top of the Pops and I think he had this idea that he was a heavy metalist … He was playing the part. I don’t think I saw the real Bowie.” – Vic Reeves.
Iman in Love
Bowie marries supermodel Iman after a two-year courtship. “You would think that a rock star being married to a supermodel would be one of the greatest things in the world. It is.” – David Bowie.
The Obscure ’90s
Punctuated by his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and a Hollywood Walk of Fame star, Bowie endures a creatively obscure period; albums are deemed middling by most fans and critics alike.
The Second Coming
Bowie makes a triumphant return to Glastonbury, this time as a headliner. The show is hailed as one of the greatest in the festival’s history, closing with “Ziggy Stardust”, “Heroes”, “Let’s Dance” and “I’m Afraid of Americans”.
Knockin’ on the Door
Bowie suffers a heart attack on stage in Germany. He later reflects: “I suppose I’ve been knocking on heaven’s door for about 11 years now, with one sort of high or another.” He vows to battle on.
The Next Day
On his 66th birthday, Bowie announces a new album: The Next Day. A return to form; producer Tony Visconti recalls walking through New York thinking, “Boy, if you only knew what I’m listening to right now.”
Blackstar
On his birthday, Bowie releases Blackstar – a magnificent, fearless meditation on mortality. When once asked about “the greatest depth of despair”, he replied simply: “Living in fear.”
The Starman Ascends
Two days after Blackstar’s release, the news of Bowie’s passing is revealed. “David Bowie died peacefully today surrounded by his family after a courageous 18-month battle with cancer. While many of you will share in this loss, we ask that you respect the family’s privacy during their time of grief.”