Bowie, David (1947– )

English pop singer, songwriter, and actor. His career has been a series of image changes. His hits include ‘Jean Genie’ (1973), ‘Rebel, Rebel’ (1974), ‘Golden Years’ (1975), and ‘Underground’ (1986). He has acted in plays and films, including Nicolas Roeg's The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976).

Bowie's first hit was ‘Space Oddity’ (1969). He became a glam-rock star with the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972) but dropped the Ziggy persona the next year. In the 1980s his hit album Let's Dance was widely popular, featuring the title single as well as ‘Modern Love’ and ‘China Girl’. Much of his best work has been created with other musicians, such as the 1975 hit ‘Fame’ written with John Lennon; the 1981 Queen hit ‘Under Pressure’, and the 1985 hit ‘Dancing in the Street’, a duet with Mick Jagger; and songwriting collaborations with Iggy Pop.

In 1997, Bowie co-founded a British publishing house called 21, designed to promote British art. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996 and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006. His other albums include Aladdin Sane (1973), Station to Station (1976), Low (1977), Heroes (1977), Lodger (1979), and Black Tie/White Noise (1993). He fronted the rock band Tin Machine 1989–92.