(PCM) It’s been a year since the world lost a great man in Mr. David Bowie. Mr. Bowie was a worldly enigmatic chap. He was an amazing musician, an innovator, and an actor just to name a few. We look back at ten things you may or may not know about the late singer.
- Rock guitarist Peter Frampton was Bowie’s friend at school – his dad was head of the art department. He’s gone on to play guitar with Bowie many times during his career.
- On Jun. 19, 2004, David Bowie was playing for a crowd of around 7,500 at the Norwegian Wood Festival in Oslo, Norway. Due to circumstances that remain mysterious, a lollipop flew from the crowd to the stage area, miraculously landing and lodging into the performer’s left eye. The singer stayed on stage after help from an assistant. He ended up playing an incredible 27 songs. He remained on the stage for over two hours and 20 minutes.
- He started playing the saxophone when he was 12 years old.
- He later changed his name to Bowie to avoid confusion with Monkee Davy Jones.
- He released his debut album, the self-titled David Bowie, in 1967 after playing in a host of pub and club bands.
- Bowie’s first hit in the UK – 1969’s Space Oddity – was used by the BBC in its coverage of the moon landing.
- David Bowie’s first US number one was his single Fame in 1975. It was co-written by John Lennon and features the former Beatle on backing vocals.
- In the 1986 Jim Henson movie Labyrinth, Bowie plays Jareth The Goblin King.
- Bing Crosby recorded his last-ever single with David Bowie. Their duet version of The Little Drummer Boy was recorded for Christmas 1977. It was a hit five years later.
- His hit Ziggy Stardust is about Vince Taylor, who wrote Brand New Cadillac – later covered by The Clash.
David Bowie will be sadly missed, but he left us enough material to fill a spaceship. Rest Easy STAR MAN.
