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David Bowie 1947-2016

DAVID BOWIEwas an English singer, songwriter and actor. He was a figure in popular music for over five decades. He was an innovator particularly due to his work at the 70s.

Born in 1947 and raised in Brixton, South London, Bowie developed an interest in music as a child, eventually studying art, music and design before starting a professional career as a musician.

In 1953, Bowie moved with his family to Bromley, where, two years later, he started attending Burnt Ash Junior School. His voice was considered average" by the school choir. After taking his eleven-plus exam at the conclusion of his Burnt Ash Junior education, Bowie went to Bromley Technical High School.

He was introduced to modern jazz, showing great enthusiasm for players like Charles Mingus and John Coltrane. That was when his mother gave him a saxophone. In 1961 he started receiving lessons from a local musician. A year later, Bowie received a serious injury at school when a friend of his called Underwood punched him in the left eye during a fight over a girl. After a series of operations during a four-month hospitalisation, his doctors determined that the damage could not be fully repaired and Bowie was left with faulty eye sight. Despite their altercation, Underwood and Bowie remained good friends, and Underwood went on to create the artwork for Bowie's early albums.

"Space Oddity" became his first top-five entry on the UK Singles Chart after its release in July 1969. After a period of experimentation, he re-emerged in 1972 during the glam rock era. His albums The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars won him great popularity. In 1975, Bowie's style changed radically. Then, he made great success with his number-one single "Fame" and the album Young Americans. In 1976, Bowie starred in the cult film The Man Who Fell to Earth and released Station to Station. The following year he released the album Low (1977), that would come to be known as the "Berlin Trilogy". "Heroes" (1977) and Lodger (1979) followed. Each album reached the UK top five and received lasting critical praise. He remained musically active until he died of liver cancer two days after the release of his final album, Blackstar (2016).

The End R.I.P. David Bowie

Life On MarsDavid BowieLife On Mars241961.92