David Bowie

David Bowie is one of the world's enduring icons of popular music. He's been making hit music since 1969 and remains a credible touchstone for even the newest, most avant-garde musicians.

Real name: David Robert Jones
Birthdate: 8 January 1947
Birthplace: Brixton, London

Trivia

- The "Space Oddity" single, featuring Rick Wakeman on mellotron, was released as just nine days before Apollo 11 landed on the moon.
- Space Oddity was jointly-awarded the 1969 Ivor Novello Award, sharing the honour with Peter Sarstedt's "Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)?".
- Fellow glam-rocker Marc Bolan acted as Bowie's session guitarist before his own career took off. He features on the 1970 single "Prettiest Star".
- Bowie achieved his first major US success with the number-one single "Fame" (1975). Co-written with John Lennon, Bowie called it "plastic soul" while Lennon described it as "great, but it's just rock'n'roll with lipstick on".
- David's 1975 single "Golden Years" was originally offered to Elvis Presley, but The King turned it down.
- Leading contemporary composer Philip Glass described Bowie's 1977 album 'Low' as "a work of genius" in 1992 and has used it as the basis for his own compositions.
- The only David Bowie solo single to top the chart with its initial release is "Ashes to Ashes". He's also scored number ones with "Under Pressure" (a 1981 collaboration with Queen) and 'Dancing In The Streets' (1985 with Mick Jagger).

Awards
- Throughout his career he has sold an estimated 140 million albums
- In the UK, 9 Platinum, 11 Gold and 8 Silver albums
- In the United States, 5 Platinum and 7 Gold.
- He has been awards two Grammy Awards and three BRIT Awards.
- Bowie was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in January 1996.