David Bowie
1947-2016 · British (London/New York/Berlin) · Rock / Art Pop
Known for: Chameleonic genius who reinvented himself through Ziggy Stardust, glam rock, Berlin electronica, and Blackstar
Bowie played Ziggy Stardust, Aladdin Sane, the Thin White Duke, and a dozen other personas, absorbing Warhol, Burroughs, Kraftwerk, and African-American funk. He nearly destroyed himself with cocaine in the mid-70s, reinvented himself in Berlin with Brian Eno, and released Blackstar two days before dying of cancer - a final artistic statement from beyond the grave.
He proved that pop music could be intellectual, theatrical, and constantly evolving.
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