RIP David Bowie (1947-2016)

[Audio_ELF]

Just days after the release of his 28th studio album, David Bowie has passed away after an 18 month battle with cancer.

 

The world has lost a truly unique musician, entertainer, artist and actor.

 

My thoughts are with his family.

 

David Bowie's life and career

[One and a half]

Deep sorrow at the news. A legend is gone.

 

[bkinbk]

A man who refused to rest on his laurels and created some of the best records in my collection. Hunky Dory and Ziggy are in the conversation for desert island albums.

[Audio_ELF]

A man who refused to rest on his laurels and created some of the best records in my collection. Hunky Dory and Ziggy are in the conversation for desert island albums.

And even some of his lesser records are interesting ... he was very much (IMO) his own man and performed / recorded in a way he wanted to, rather than pandering to commercial tastes.

[Melvin]

A tremendous loss indeed.

 

And even some of his lesser records are interesting ... he was very much (IMO) his own man and performed / recorded in a way he wanted to, rather than pandering to commercial tastes.

 

I saw him in 1978 during the Heroes tour and he was brilliant, an enigma.

[Jud]

For some reason, perhaps that he feels more like a contemporary than some others who have gone before, Bowie's passing is a shock.

[Melvin]

For some reason, perhaps that he feels more like a contemporary than some others who have gone before, Bowie's passing is a shock.

 

I agree with you Jud. In fact, I was quite shocked this morning. Was his illness common knowledge?

[AnotherSpin]

He was first ever Western musician I saw performing, Washington DC area, July 1990.

[semente]

Was David Bowie saying goodbye on Blackstar?

The songs on Bowie’s inspired new album speak of illness, death and heaven – and offer intriguing insights about the man who sang, ‘I’m not a pop star, I’m a blackstar’

 

 

Was David Bowie saying goodbye on Blackstar? | Music | The Guardian

 

 

R

[james45974]

Was David Bowie saying goodbye on Blackstar?

The songs on Bowie’s inspired new album speak of illness, death and heaven – and offer intriguing insights about the man who sang, ‘I’m not a pop star, I’m a blackstar’

 

 

Was David Bowie saying goodbye on Blackstar? | Music | The Guardian

 

 

R

 

I did not know that he was sick. It is interesting to see what is produced by artists when they are faced with their own mortality. I have not heard Blackstar yet, couldn't find it at the store yesterday (before I had heard he had died). I do own a copy of Warren Zevon's last album. I guess their respective albums were in essence written as their own epitaphs.

[Audio_ELF]

Was David Bowie saying goodbye on Blackstar?

Hope you don't mind, I've asked Chris if he would move this post (and the reply) to a new thread as I think it could be an interesting discussion wider than just David Bowie.

[semente]

Hope you don't mind, I've asked Chris if he would move this post (and the reply) to a new thread as I think it could be an interesting discussion wider than just David Bowie.

 

Not at all, it's a good idea.

 

R

[wgscott]

This comes as quite a shock. I had no idea he was 27.

[REShaman]

Just days after the release of his 28th studio album, David Bowie has passed away after an 18 month battle with cancer.

 

The world has lost a truly unique musician, entertainer, artist and actor.

 

My thoughts are with his family.

 

David Bowie's life and career

 

Well said, Eloise.

 

He was a shining star here on Earth. And now in the firmament. One of a kind coming and going. He's risen to Grace having portrayed one who fell from. My deepest sympathies to his family and beautiful wife, herself unique in her own way.

 

The Blessings Already ARe,

Richard

 

[wgb113]

Like many of you I was shocked and saddened to hear the news this morning. Rumors are that the album's been in the can for several months, he was holding onto it until the end. Very Bowie of Mr. Jones to leave us just after his birthday with a final farewell.

 

As someone else pointed to, even the title seems telling, seemingly taken from the Elvis son whose lyrics are:

 

Every man has a black star

A black star over his shoulder

And when a man sees his black star

He knows his time, his time has come

 

Black star don't shine on me, black star

Black star keep behind me, black star

There's a lot of livin' I gotta do

Give me time to make a few dreams come true, black star

 

When I ride I feel that black star

That black star over my shoulder

So I ride in front of that black star

Never lookin' around, never lookin' around

 

Black star don't shine on me, black star

Black star keep behind me, black star

There's a lot of livin' I gotta do

Give me time to make a few dreams come true, black star

 

One fine day I'll see that black star

That black star over my shoulder

And when I see that old black star

I'll know my time, my time has come

 

Black star don't shine on me, black star

Black star keep behind me, black star

There's a lot of livin' I gotta do

Give me time to make a few dreams come true, black star

 

 

 

Read more: Elvis Presley - Black Star Lyrics | MetroLyrics

 

R.I.P. David

[petaluma]

Its amazing now many times the man reinvented himself and did so brilliantly. He was a musician, actor, entrepreneur, and from what I read a great representative for the human race. I loved his work. Ziggy will be missed. RIP sir.....

[Paul R]

It is sad - so sad - to see yet another talent leave us.

 

David Bowie was the first musician/artist to actually scare me a bit. Ziggy was a scary dude! The Goblin King was disturbingly scary, but also a terrific lot of fun too.

 

Bowie's music - some was fantastic, some plain fun, some disturbing, and other stuff? Some was just shlock to me.

 

He reinvented himself more times than Madonna, and often in far more edgy ways. Certainly he had the ability to give people what they wanted, which was a hell of a good show and ofttimes music that would grab you and not let you go.

 

Death sucks - I sure wish someone could do something about eliminating it, or at least putting it off for a few centuries or so.

 

-Paul

[wgscott]

I may have to watch Cat People tonight.

[junker]

http://hyperallergic.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/db-transformation-colour.gif

 

[Audio_ELF]

Words from Brian May... January 2016

[wgscott]

OK, we really can't embed animated gifs.

 

[junker]

Hah! Yeah if you know a workaround let me know. I tried haha.

 

OK, we really can't embed animated gifs.

[wgscott]

Hah! Yeah if you know a workaround let me know. I tried haha.

 

I just put tags around your posted url.

[junker]

Yeah it was barfing about the image being too large or something. Sorry OT.

 

I just put tags around your posted url.

[petaluma]

Was out looking at articles about Bowie and he almost came close to getting the Bond villain role in "A View to a Kill" in place of Christopher Walken. Granted one of the crappier Bond films but it would have been fun to see what he could have done with it...

 

I did like him in 1985's "Into the Night". Plays an assassin, its a black comedy, and is quite good. His interaction with Goldblum at the ATM is amusing. What might have been in a Bond film. :-)