Short History Of... David Bowie
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Jan 12, 2026 Chris O'Leary, an author dedicated to David Bowie's legacy, dives into the transformative journey of this music icon. They discuss Bowie's shocking debut as Ziggy Stardust, his evolving personas, and the creative risks he took throughout his career. O'Leary unpacks how Bowie's fluid sexuality and bold image reshaped youth culture. The conversation also explores Bowie's struggles with fame, substance abuse, and the impactful Berlin Trilogy, culminating in his haunting final work, Blackstar, and his lasting influence on music and identity.
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Television Changed A Teenager's World
- A 13-year-old boy watching Top of the Pops in July 1972 is mesmerised by David Bowie performing Starman as Ziggy Stardust.
- The TV moment opened his eyes to a new world of colour, gender-fluid style and performance theatre.
Persona As Performance Breakthrough
- Ziggy Stardust's androgynous, alien look shocked parents and energised youth across Britain.
- The persona signalled Bowie as a performer who married music with theatrical identity reinvention.
Suburban Roots, Not Art School Myth
- David Robert Jones was born in 1947 in Brixton and moved to suburban Bromley as a child.
- He never attended art school despite later myths and instead grew up in a fairly ordinary suburban setting.
