The Rise and Early Life of David Bowie
In discussing Glam Rock, one cannot fully describe it without understanding who was behind the creation of the genre. David Bowie is considered a "founding father" of Glam Rock and "he was probably more responsible than anyone for popularizing the format (of Glam Rock) to the world audience" (Lenig, 43). David Bowie, formally known as David Jones, was born on January 8, 1947 in Brixton, England. Bowie's gift of musical talent started at a very early age. He learned how to play the saxophone at 13 and at the age of 16, David began playing in bands (Rolling Stone). Three of Bowie's earliest bands include- the King Bees, the Manish Boys, and Davey Jones and the Lower Third, all of which produced singles (Rolling Stone). It was when Bowie started to acclimate himself into fame that he changed his name from David Jones to David Bowie, after a knife created by Jim Bowie. The name changed occurred because David Bowie did not want to be confused with the Monkees' band member Davy Jones (Lenig, 44). Bowie's initial introduction to rock music may be paid tribute to his brother, Terry, who suffered mental illnesses . Terry committed suicide later in Bowie's life and it is said that many songs Bowie produced, such as "Jump They Say," were focused around his brother's life and the troubles and hardships he faced (Bio).
Bowie is often noted as being a "chameleon" of Glam Rock because of his ability to change shape and fashion every few years (Lenig, 43). Bowie is not seen as much as musician, but more-so an actor because of his ability to portray different acts and put on a show for the audience using the stage as a theatrical prop. "Bowie saw the stage as a means to live out his artistic ideas and to gain a wide audience in the process," Lenig states. In Bowie's early life he took mime lessons and wrote poetry as a way to captivate his audience but quickly realized performing is what he did best. His music was heavily influenced the Mods, which was a youth movement and teenage rebellion from the norm during the height of Glam Rock (Olding).
At this point in Bowie's career, he branched off from the bands he was a part of to be on his own but was initially not very successful. After a few years off, David Bowie came back in the starlight stronger than ever with his first hit- "Space Oddity" in 1969. The European hit was released in England and coexisted with the landing of Apollo 11 (Bio).
David Bowie married Angela Barnett in 1970 and they had one child together, Joe, who would be renamed Zowie to captivate Bowie's Ziggy Stardust movement. Angela influenced Bowie's feminine appearance on the cover of his next album, The Man Who Sold the World. "She poured her ideas and suggestions into her struggling husband's career" (Lenig, 45). The couple quickly divorced in 1980.
From this moment on, Bowie's life would be forever changing and audiences around the world would be mesmerized by his ability to depict "fiction, art, theater, music, and emerging media ideas of the times" (Lenig, 3).
Bowie is often noted as being a "chameleon" of Glam Rock because of his ability to change shape and fashion every few years (Lenig, 43). Bowie is not seen as much as musician, but more-so an actor because of his ability to portray different acts and put on a show for the audience using the stage as a theatrical prop. "Bowie saw the stage as a means to live out his artistic ideas and to gain a wide audience in the process," Lenig states. In Bowie's early life he took mime lessons and wrote poetry as a way to captivate his audience but quickly realized performing is what he did best. His music was heavily influenced the Mods, which was a youth movement and teenage rebellion from the norm during the height of Glam Rock (Olding).
At this point in Bowie's career, he branched off from the bands he was a part of to be on his own but was initially not very successful. After a few years off, David Bowie came back in the starlight stronger than ever with his first hit- "Space Oddity" in 1969. The European hit was released in England and coexisted with the landing of Apollo 11 (Bio).
David Bowie married Angela Barnett in 1970 and they had one child together, Joe, who would be renamed Zowie to captivate Bowie's Ziggy Stardust movement. Angela influenced Bowie's feminine appearance on the cover of his next album, The Man Who Sold the World. "She poured her ideas and suggestions into her struggling husband's career" (Lenig, 45). The couple quickly divorced in 1980.
From this moment on, Bowie's life would be forever changing and audiences around the world would be mesmerized by his ability to depict "fiction, art, theater, music, and emerging media ideas of the times" (Lenig, 3).