Columnist: Chris Liakos

On January 10, in Manhattan, New York, the great performer, actor and overall artist, David Bowie, passed away two days after his sixty-ninth birthday. David Robert Jones, as was his birth name, was born in Bronxton, UK, and started his career in music in the late 60′s, with his first significant success occurring in the 70′s and the 80′s. He is considered a rock and pop idol and was a pioneer of the glam rock scene.

His first hit was the title track of the Space Oddity album, which made it to No 5 of the British charts. In 1972, he released the equally successful song “Starman”, assuming the character Ziggy Stardust, his famous alter ego. The time to conquer the American market had come and Bowie achieved it with his album Young Americans and its greatest hit ‘Fame’ that topped the American Billboard. After a few years without any significant success, 1983 marked Bowie’s return to the spotlight, with the experimental and exceptionally successful Let’s dance album. The ingenious Bowie kept on experimenting during the 90′s and 00′s.

Bowie was a favorite for many, but his singing and music was not the only thing that impressed his fans and peers. His acting career was characterized by some of the most iconic roles of modern cinema. Who can forget the Goblin King, in the fantasy movie Labyrinth, or the eccentric Nikola Tesla, in The Prestige?

His latest album Blackstar was David Bowie’s swansong, and the touching, prophetic video clip of the song ‘Lazarus’ made many other famous artists, such as Rolling Stones” Mick Jagger, talk with the utmost kindness and respect for David Bowie the artist and David Jones the person.