Today is a
dark day for music. I can’t quite put into words how I feel having heard that
one of the world’s most treasured music icons has passed away. David Bowie to
me has always represented a shape-shifter of sorts. He has been able to adopt
the guises of so many characters, whilst still remaining quintessentially himself.
I grew up with some of his music from a very young age. I still remember
vividly my Dad playing the song Heroes over and over, initially to my
bemusement but eventually to my delight. As I matured and discovered older
music in more depth, Bowie was one of the first artists I checked out. I cried listening
to Life On Mars and Five Years for the first time, David’s desperate wailing
passion hitting me like a tonne of bricks. I spent hours immersing myself in
his early albums, and eventually his Berlin trilogy and beyond too. Like Dylan,
The Beatles, and most of my favourite artists, what floored me about Bowie was
his constant need for change, year to year, albums to album. I could get a
different version of him from each record, yet I always felt his undeniable
presence.
It is clear
to me that David Bowie was a man who promoted peace and acceptance on this
planet of ours, and did his utmost to challenge social and cultural norms in
both his music and broader life. I never knew him, yet somehow I feel that he
knew something about me, something about all of us. The album he left us with,
Blackstar, was a sobering experience to listen to, especially today. I like to
think it was his way of saying goodbye and good luck. A plea for us all to look
long and hard at ourselves and to realise our mortality so that we can start living.
Whatever his intentions, I am glad that he was able to deliver one more great record.
Rest in
Peace David Bowie and thank you for everything.
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