David Bowie
Biography
David Robert Jones, known professionally as David Bowie, was an English singer, songwriter and actor. He was a figure in popular music for over five decades, regarded by critics and musicians as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s. His career was marked by reinvention and visual presentation, his music and stagecraft significantly influencing popular music. During his lifetime, his record sales, estimated at 140 million worldwide, made him one of the world's best-selling music artists. In the UK, he was awarded nine platinum album certifications, eleven gold and eight silver, releasing eleven number-one albums. In the US, he received five platinum and seven gold certifications. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. Born and raised in South London, Bowie developed an interest in music as a child, eventually studying art, music and design before embarking on a professional career as a musician in 1963. “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 with his flamboyant and androgynous alter ego Ziggy Stardust. The character was spearheaded by the success of his single “Starman” and album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, which won him widespread popularity. In 1975, Bowie's style shifted radically towards a sound he characterized as “plastic soul,” initially alienating many of his UK devotees but garnering him his first major US crossover success with the 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 further confounded musical expectations with the electronic-inflected album Low (1977), the first of three collaborations with Brian Eno 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. After uneven commercial success in the late 1970s, Bowie had UK number ones with the 1980 single “Ashes to Ashes,” its parent album Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps), and “Under Pressure,” a 1981 collaboration with Queen. He then reached his commercial peak in 1983 with Let's Dance, with its title track topping both UK and US charts. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Bowie continued to experiment with musical styles, including industrial and jungle. Bowie also continued acting; his roles included Major Celliers in Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983), the Goblin King Jareth in Labyrinth (1986), Pontius Pilate in The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), and Nikola Tesla in The Prestige (2006), among other film and television appearances and cameos. He stopped concert touring after 2004 and his last live performance was at a charity event in 2006. In 2013, Bowie returned from a decade-long recording hiatus with the release of The Next Day. He remained musically active until he died of liver cancer two days after the release of his final album, Blackstar (2016).
Known For
Thomas Jerome Newton
The Man Who Fell to Earth
Tesla
The Prestige
Andy Warhol
Basquiat
Self - Interviewee
David Bowie: An Earthling at 50
Self (archive footage)
Der Reichstag
Self
David Bowie - Live at The Elysee Montmartre Paris
Self
David Bowie: Live at Montreux
Self
David Bowie - Live from the 10th spot
Pontius Pilatus
The Last Temptation of Christ
Colin Morris
Into the Night
Self (voice)
The Velvet Underground
The Shark (uncredited)
Yellowbeard
David Bowie
Bandslam
Self (archive footage)
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2020 Inductions
John Blaylock
The Hunger
Celliers
戦場のメリークリスマス
Paul Ambrosius von Przygodski
Schöner Gigolo, armer Gigolo
Self - Interviewee
The Rutles 2: Can't Buy Me Lunch
David Bowie
Christiane F. - Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo
Self
Imagine: John Lennon
David Bowie
Zoolander
Maltazard (voice)
Arthur et les Minimoys
Self (archive footage)
The Filth and the Fury
Self
The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert
Self
WBCN and the American Revolution
Self / Ziggy Stardust
Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
Jareth
Labyrinth
Cyrus Ogilvie
August
Self (archive footage)
Cool Cats: 25 Years of Rock 'n' Roll Style
Self
David Gilmour - Breaking Bread, Drinking Wine
Self
The Sensational Shocking Wonderful Wacky 70's
Vendice Partners
Absolute Beginners
Self (archive footage)
Zappa
Jack Sikora
Il mio West
Self
David Bowie: Love You Till Tuesday
Self
2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Self
Live Aid
Self - Keyboard, Vocals
David Bowie: Live at Beat Club Musikladen
Self (archive footage)
Nam June Paik: Moon Is the Oldest TV
Self (archive footage)
Bowie: The Man Who Changed the World
Self (uncredited)
Nine Inch Nails: Closure
Monte
The Linguini Incident
Self
Live Aid Against All Odds
Self - Narrator (voice)
Hollywood Rocks the Movies: The 1970s
Self
Bowie: A Reality Tour
Mr. William Rice
Mr. Rice's Secret
Self
The Love We Make
Self
The History of Rock 'n' Roll
Self
Tina Turner: Private Dancer Tour
Self
Acoustic at the BBC
Self
The Concert for New York City
Self
David Bowie I Love You (Since I Was Six)
Self
David Bowie Birthday Celebration Live in NYC
Self (archive footage)
WHAM!
Self (archive footage)
Julian Schnabel: A Private Portrait
Self (archive footage)
Moonage Daydream
Self
David Bowie: Earthling On TV
Vic / Screaming Lord Byron
David Bowie: Jazzin' for Blue Jean
Bernie
Everybody Loves Sunshine
Baal
Baal
Rockthology 2
Self
Lou Reed: Rock and Roll Heart
Self (archive footage)
Angelheaded Hipster: The Songs of Marc Bolan & T. Rex
Self
David Bowie: Rockpalast
Self - Singer (archive footage)
LOLA
Self
Cracked Actor
Self
David Bowie: Serious Moonlight Montreal
The Boy
The Image
Cloud
The Looking Glass Murders
Self
David Bowie: Out of this World
Self
Inside the Labyrinth
Self
David Bowie: The Serious Moonlight Tour
Self (archive footage)
Burden
Self
Night Flight: Born Again
David Bowie On Stage
Self
David Bowie: Glastonbury 2000
Tin Machine - Live at Paradiso
Self - Vocals
Bowie at the BBC
Self - Lead Vocals / Guitar
David Bowie: Serious Moonlight
Phillip Jeffries
Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces
Self
Queen: Greatest Video Hits 2
David Bowie
Queride Bowie
Self
In Stillness and in Silence (Sacred)
Self
Goldie: When Saturn Returns
Self (archive footage)
David Bowie: Best of Bowie
Self
David Bowie: Glass Spider
Self
David Bowie & Friends: A Very Special Birthday Celebration
Self (archive footage)
Are We Not Men?
Himself (voice)
Fame
Self
David Bowie: Live by Request
Self
David Bowie - Live at Hammersmith Studios in London
Self (archive footage)
Queen: Greatest Flix II
Self
Supergroups
Self
Video AID
Self
Inside the Music
Self (archive footage)
David Bowie Is Happening Now
Self (archive footage)
The Lost Weekend: A Love Story
Self
David Bowie: Black Tie White Noise
Self (archive footage)
Mickey: The Story of a Mouse
David Bowie at Live Aid
The 1980 Floor Show
Self
David Bowie: Under Review 1976-79
Self
David Bowie: Live At The Tokyo Dome
Self
David Bowie: Sound and Vision
Self
David Bowie: Starman
Self
David Bowie On Stage: Live in Japan
David Bowie: Serious Moonlight Sydney
Self / Ziggy Stardust (archive footage)
David Bowie & The Story of Ziggy Stardust
Jareth (archive footage)
Jim Henson Idea Man
Self (archive footage)
Bowie at the BBC
Self (archive footage)
David Bowie: The Man Who Stole the World
Self
Let's Dance: Bowie Down Under
Self
David Bowie: VH1 Storytellers
Self (archive footage)
The Nomi Song
Françoise Hardy : tant de belles choses
Self (archive footage)
Vanilla Ice Archive
Self (archive footage)
A Bing Crosby Christmas
Self (archive footage)
Bowie, Iggy & Lou 1971-1973: The Sacred Triangle
Self (archive footage)
DEVO
Narrator (voice)
TIME
The Stars (Are Out Tonight)
Self (archive footage)
Eno
Self
Classic Albums: Lou Reed - Transformer
Self (archive footage)
My Way
Self - Guest Artist
David Gilmour: Remember That Night - Live at the Royal Albert Hall
Soldier
The Virgin Soldiers
Self
David Bowie - Sound and Vision
Self
Freddie Mercury: The Final Act
Self (archive footage)
Bing Crosby: Rediscovered
Self
The Fine Art of Separating People from Their Money
Self
Clockwork Orange County
Self
Bing Crosby: The Television Specials Volume 2 – The Christmas Specials
Special Agent Phillip Jeffries
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me
Self - Narrator (voice)
Beside Bowie: The Mick Ronson Story
Self
David Bowie: Rare and Unseen
Self
Ricochet
Self
B-Movie: Lust & Sound in West-Berlin 1979-1989
Self
Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas
Self
Wilde Jahre West-Berlin
Self
Bugs Bunny/Looney Tunes All-Star 50th Anniversary
Self
TV Party
Self (archive footage)
The Work of Director Mark Romanek
Self
Scott Walker: 30 Century Man
Self
NBC television special: The Pursuit of Pleasure
Self
Group Madness
Self (archive footage)
Krautrock: The Rebirth of Germany
Self
The Oshima Gang
Self
Night Lunch
Self - Vocals
Glastonbury 2000
Self
Why Are We Creative?: The Centipede's Dilemma
Self (archive footage)
David Bowie: The Last Five Years
Self / Harpie
Diamond Dogs Demo Video
Self (archive footage)
Superstar in a Housedress: The Life and Legend of Jackie Curtis
Self (archive footage)
David Bowie: Finding Fame
Self
The Ten Commandments of Creativity
Self
The Midnight Special Legendary Performances: Million Sellers
Self (archive footage)
My Music: A Classic Christmas
Jack Celliers (archive footage)
Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda
Self
Mayor of the Sunset Strip
Self
Gaga for Dada: The Original Art Rebels
Jareth (archive footage)
The World of Jim Henson
Self
Das Prinzip Dada
Self
Lindsay Dances – Il teatro e la vita secondo Lindsay Kemp
Self
Live Aid: 20 Years Ago Today
Celliers (archive footage)
Tokyo melody, un film sur Ryuichi Sakamoto
Lord Royal Highness
SpongeBob's Atlantis SquarePantis
Self
Queen - The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert 10th Anniversary Documentary
Self (archive footage)
Soul Boys of the Western World
Singer
Freddie Mercury: The King of Queen
Self (archive footage)
David Bowie: Five Years
Self (archive footage)
The Show Must Go On: The Queen + Adam Lambert Story
Self - Musician (archive footage)
Shot! The Psycho-Spiritual Mantra of Rock
Self
Live Aid
Self (archive footage)
Kings of Glam
Self (archive footage)
David Bowie: On the Rock Trail
Self - Performer (archive footage)
The Genius of David Bowie
Self
Nine Inch Nails & David Bowie: Dissonance
Self
Saturday Night Live: 25th Anniversary Special
Self
David Bowie: London Boy
Self
David Bowie: Roseland Ballroom, NYC
Self
Moby Doc
Self - Singer, Songwriter
David Bowie - The Plastic Soul Review
Self
David Bowie: Live Olympia Paris
Self - Singer, songwriter
David Bowie - The Calm Before The Storm: Under Review 1969 - 1971
Self - Singer, Songwriter
David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust
Self - Singer, Songwriter
David Bowie - Music in Review
Self - Singer, Songwriter
David bowie - Up Close and Personal
Self
David Bowie - Total Rock Review
Self
Hr. Vinterberg & Mr. Bowie
Self (archive footage)
Glam Rock at the BBC
Self (archive footage)
The Dancing Man of L.A.
Best of Bowie
Self
Late Night with Conan O'Brien: 10th Anniversary Special
Self
The Making of the 'Outside' Album
(archival footage)
Twiggy
Self
Pixies: Gouge
Self (archive footage)
Thriller 40
Older James (re-released version) (uncredited)
The Snowman
Self (archive footage)
David Bowie - In His Own Words
Guitar, Saxophone, Vocals
David Bowie: The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars (2024 Dolby Atmos Mix)
Self (archive footage)
Luther: Never Too Much
Self (archive footage)
The BRITs at 40
Self (Archival/Voice)
Moonage Ice Cream
Self (archive footage)
Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music
self
David Bowie - Kremlin Palace Moscow
Blackstar
Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Known Credits
206
Gender
Male
Birthday
1947-01-08
Place of Birth
London, England, UK
Also Known As
David Robert Jones