David Bowie’s Life in Pictures: Photos of the Music Icon in Honor of His 77th Birthday
Though he came into this world as David Robert Jones, he left as David Bowie. Take a look at some of the moments in Bowie’s life and legendary impact on music.
Today, January 8, would have been David Bowie’s 77th birthday and when he passed away in 2016, he left behind an artistic legacy that may never be seen again. After developing a love for rock and roll – thanks to artists like Fats Domino, Elvis Presley, and Little Richard – David began pursuing a career in music in the early 1960s, adopting the stage name David Bowie, as not to be confused with Davy Jones of The Monkees.
After his first self-titled album didn’t go anywhere, Bowie discovered success with Space Oddity. The song about Major Tom and ground control launched a career that saw Bowie deliver albums full of psychedelia, glam rock, electronic experimentation, and wild new sounds. He became a cultural icon, a fashion entity, a gender-bending provocateur who celebrated punk, new wave, avant-garde art-rock, and practically everything in between.
While married to his first wife, Mary Barnett, Bowie became a father for the first time, welcoming son Duncan Jones in 1971. In 1992, Bowie married model Iman. They welcomed a daughter, Lexi, in 2000. Their love lasted until his death in 2016.
Take a look at some of the moments in Bowie’s life, one that lasted nearly seven decades but, still feels like it ended too soon.