Nobody in rock ‘n’ roll history has changed his public persona with as much success as David Bowie. He started in the mid ‘60s as a British folksinger before shifting course, becoming a psych-pop rocker with a thing for space aliens. By the early ‘70s, he had made another change, this time taking on a character – a drug-snorting narcissistic rock star from outer space named Ziggy Stardust who looked and acted a lot like David Bowie – who became the center of the glam-rock movement and Bowie’s greatest creation. He tried on other roles over the years, including American soul man and European electronic-music pioneer, while shaping the careers of Mott the Hoople, Iggy Pop and Lou Reed. He had the biggest-selling album of his career in 1983 with ‘Let’s Dance’ as a New Wave pop star. In 2013, after a 10-year break, he made a triumphant return with ‘The Next Day.’
- Birthdate: Jan. 8, 1947
- Selected Discography: ‘The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars’ (1972), ‘Hunky Dory’ (1971), ‘Low’ (1977)
- Related Artists: Mott the Hoople, Iggy Pop, Lou Reed
- Further Reading: Top 10 David Bowie Songs, Top 10 David Bowie ‘70s Album Tracks