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David Bowie, the persona of English musician David Jones, passed away from liver cancer on January 10th 2016. He was 69 years old. Bowie, who sold about 140 million records worldwide, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996 and is credited with changing the nature of rock music. Celebrities like Paul McCartney, Iggy Pop, Kanye West, Madonna, and Mick Jagger have expressed their condolences. The world is reminiscing about the legend’s life and legacy.
A long battle with cancer
His official Facebook page released the following statement:
“David Bowie died peacefully today surrounded by his family after a courageous 18 month battle with cancer. While many of you will share in this loss, we ask that you respect the family’s privacy during their time of grief.”
He had kept his cancer a secret, even from his closest friends, so the news was especially shocking. However, it was clear that his health was declining during the last decade. After suffering a heart attack in 2004, he stopped touring. His final onstage appearance was a duet with Alicia Keys in 2006.
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A beloved husband and father
Bowie was married to Mary Angela Barnett for about 10 years and had a son named Duncan, who is an English film director, film producer, and screenwriter. In 1992, he married Somali-American supermodel Iman. He was immediately taken the minute he set eyes on her.
“That she would be my wife, in my head, was a done deal,” he said. “I’d never gone after anything in my life with such passion in all my life. I just knew she was the one.” She was a little more hesitant – “I did not want to get involved with a rock star. No way. It is not a sane thing to do, but David changed my mind. He wooed me,” Iman said.
Their relationship defied the odds. Unlike most celebrity pairings, it lasted for decades. And the two purposefully kept their relationship out of the spotlight.
“I am married to David Jones. David Bowie and David Jones are two totally different people,” she said.
The couple has a fifteen-year-old daughter together, named Alexandria. On the day of his passing, Iman posted a message on her Instagram:
“Sometimes you will never know the true value of a moment until it becomes a memory.”
Remembering his best moments
As news of his death spread, fans are rediscovering what made them fall in love with the artist. For instance, an old MTV interview resurfaced online. In 1983, Bowie called out the network for not featuring enough black artists.
“It occurred to me, having watched MTV over the last few months, that’s it’s a solid enterprise, really. It’s got a lot going for it. I’m just floored by the fact that there are so few black artists featured on it. Why is that?” he demanded of interviewer Mark Goodman.
Bowie went on to say that most of the black artists were only featured from 2:30 to 6 in the morning, not during the day. Goodman’s defense was that black artists were not appealing to all Americans, claiming that more conservative towns would be scared to death by Prince or “a string of other black faces and black music.” To that Bowie responded “Isn’t that interesting?” with a smirk.
Watch the interview below:
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