The interwebs have taken on a mournful and yet celebratory tone today. David Bowie's death on this day, the 10th of January, 2016 C.E., in some ways is just now bringing the life and music of Bowie back into the spotlight for some people, while for others of us his work and his impact on music, on fashion, and on art have jut been deepened as we look back at the ways in which he impacted our lives.
Certainly, I heard David Bowie's songs when I was a child (I was born in 1983 and had an artist for a father, after all). However, my first memory of David Bowie, much as is the case for many people my age, was in his role as Jareth, the Goblin King, in the film Labyrinth (1986). Who could forget how an articulate David Bowie introduced us to stylized androgynism, fashionable and well-spoken villains, and child film stars in tights with bulges?! The Labyrinth song Magic Dance remains one of my favorite songs from a Henson film:
Of course, the life and music of David Bowie has become pop culture history. Those of us interested in space exploration have almost certainly heard Space Oddity. Hell, astronaut Chris Hadfield went as far as to create a music video and cover version featuring Hadfield playing Space Oddity from the International Space Station:
There are a lot of great articles passing about today to honor the best songs of Bowie's career. From The Man Who Sold the World, to Changes, Rebel Rebel, and even to Heroes, Bowie created music that most certainly would be on the soundtrack for the later half of the 20th century C.E.
Generations come and go, each of us adding our own little bits to history through our music and art, our culture and our science, our technology and our social movements. David Bowie's music will most certainly live on long from this day at the passing of his life. I think it must be an honor to leave this world knowing that you have impacted the lives of so many others (hopefully in good ways). Cheers, David Bowie, and thanks!
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