David Bowie - Rock & Roll Icon

It's kind of a weird feeling when you first hear of an iconic celebrity's death. Although most of us have never met the person, we still feel some kind of personal connection. Early this morning, I woke to my radio alarm clock. I'm usually greeted with a classic rock tune which eases me out of the night's slumber. But on this particular morning, the DJ threw a bucket of cold water on my head by announcing that David Bowie had passed away.

Looking back, Bowie was one of the most interesting and successful rock stars ever. It should come as no surprise that one of his best known songs was titled "Changes". Bowie reinvented himself time after time, always to the approval of his audience.

When I first saw Bowie's Ziggy Stardust persona, I thought he was really out there. (I guess it was fitting that he called his band the Spiders From Mars.) I scratched my head trying to figure out what this androgynous looking guy with the bright-red hair was all about. But as soon as I heard the music, I knew he was something special. The song "Ziggy Stardust" is still one of my all-time favorites.

Many times, I can remember driving down the road when one of those classic Bowie tunes would come across the airwaves. I would impulsively reach for the volume button and crank it up. I have no idea where Suffragette City is, but I know that that it sounds really good when played at a high volume.

David Bowie appealed to a wide audience. He even appeared on Soul Train back in 1975 to perform "Golden Years" and "Fame". As host Don Cornelius introduced the pale-skinned, orange-haired Bowie to the all-black audience, the brothers on the dance floor were were probably thinking "WTF"? But as soon as the familiar grooves of those songs kicked in, everyone proceeded to get down and boogie.

(A couple trivia items about the songs that Bowie performed on Soul Train: "Fame" was co-written by John Lennon, who also provided backing vocals on the studio track. And Elvis Presley once considered doing a cover version of "Golden Years". Now, that would have been really interesting!)

With so many songs to choose from, it's really tough to pick just one song. But if I had to pick one favorite, I would have to go with "Heroes". It's one of those songs that makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. It's been covered by different artists (and some quite well), but there's something uniquely special about Bowie's original version.

And how can anyone not like "Space Oddity"? When Major Tom strays away and loses touch with ground control, you can almost feel his anxiety and isolation through Bowie's vocals...

"Here I am, floating in a tin can, far above the moon.
Planet earth is blue and there's nothing I can do...."

Perhaps somewhat surprising, Bowie also sang on one of my favorite Christmas tunes.  I still remember seeing the video as a kid. Bowie wonders over to his neighbor's house on Christmas Eve to find none other than Bing Crosby house-sitting. The two exchange pleasantries and then kick into the best version ever of "The Little Drummer Boy". It instantly became a timeless Christmas classic.

Back in the 80's, I went to see a movie called "The Hunger" (not to be confused with The Hunger Games). David Bowie played one of the lead roles. I soon realized that, along with being a brilliant musician and song writer, Bowie was also quite an actor. Along with other movies, Bowie also did a 3-month run on Broadway in a production of "The Elephant Man".

David Bowie accomplished so much in his 69 years of life. He was a multi-talented, uniquely-entertaining musical genius. But if I had to sum him up in one sentence, I would simply say that David Bowie was downright cool.

Rest in peace, brother. And thanks for all of the great music!


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