One week ago today, I published a blog on David Bowie's new album, Blackstar, thanked him for his music, and wished him a happy birthday. Now he is gone. The news of his passing still hasn't sunk in. It just does not seem real. Him having cancer was something he and his family wanted to keep private, which I fully understand and I respect their decision. It's just so sudden because we didn't know about it. In the "Blackstar" video, I could tell he had aged but cancer was furthest from my mind. After watching his "Lazarus" video and his "Valentine's Day" video, it was plain to see he had lost weight and looked frail. "Valentine's Day" was recorded in 2013, before his diagnosis. He looked much healthier in that video but none of that should matter. What matters is that this man gave so much to the world and kept giving until he took his last breath. His music video for "Lazarus" was a 'parting gift' for fans in a carefully planned finale. See below.
The poignant lyrics to "Lazarus" reveal how the musician was preparing to say goodbye as he tells fans, "Look up here, I'm in heaven." His producer, Tony Visconti, stated that the artist knew for a year that his cancer was incurable. David Bowie, and those closest to him, arranged Blackstar's release at the end of his life, after 18 months of living with cancer. He wanted his death--as he did his life--to be a work of art. How do you begin to describe such a masterpiece of one's life? I am sitting here astounded by his life's work. He first entered the charts in July 1969 with his song "Space Oddity," and scored 25 top 10 singles and 29 top 10 albums across his career. His career spanned six decades which led him to become one of the biggest recording artists of all time. He was audacious, having pushed the boundaries of music, art, and fashion. He influenced and inspired many generations of musicians. Below are some of my favorite David Bowie tracks.
"Modern Love," "Ashes to Ashes," "China Girl," "Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)," "Suffragette City," "Oh, You Pretty Things," "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)," "Drive-In Saturday," "Changes," "Absolute Beginners," "DJ," "Blue Jean," "Life On Mars?" "The Man Who Sold the World," "Rebel Rebel," "Space Oddity," "The Jean Genie." -- There may be others I'm forgetting, but those are my best-loved David Bowie songs. I also like "I'm Afraid of Americans" and other songs from 1997's Earthling album. I remember when Earthling came out. The song and video for "I'm Afraid of Americans" took over the radio and rocked MTV. Bowie performed a televised concert supporting the twentieth studio album, and went back on the road with his Earthling Tour. I regret not ever seeing him live, but I'm grateful to have grown up with his music and films.
I've only seen Labyrinth and parts of the concert film Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. I haven't seen the rest of his films but I enjoyed Labyrinth a great deal.
"Magic dance" from Labyrinth:
He was a rock icon, actor, and style guru whose timeless work will continue to transcend the ages. My deepest sympathies are with his family at this difficult time. Such loss of life and talent will be sorely missed. Shine brightly, Blackstar.
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