Normally by a rock legend’s 67th birthday he has enjoyed at least a decade of radio silence but of course David Bowie has never been one to stick to the average. With an album enduring popularity for at least a year, his equally awesome wife Iman and a status as a music icon, Bowie has earned more than his fair share of praise. But perhaps his best contribution to pop culture have been his eschewing of norms that had never before been broken. These days we are used to shocking musical behavior, from the Miley’s and the Gaga’s, but let us not forget, Bowie was one of the first to introduce us to collaboration between performance art and music. In Honor of the legend’s 67th birthday, here are David Bowie’s top four alter egos. Happy Birthday David Bowie, you are forever one of our favorites!
Major Tom
Bowie made his name on the music scene after being inspired by Neil Armstrong’s landing on the moon in 1969. It was this historical feat that pushed Bowie to release his now famous “Space Oddity”, as well as his first ever alter ego, Major Tom. Major Tom has since been brought back in several incarnations in Bowie’s following songs of “Ashes to Ashes” and “Hello Spaceboy”.
Ziggy Stardust
Bowie’s best known alter ego was originally created in promotion with his concept album “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars”. It was a shocking performance at the time as up until that point, no artist had ever fully realized and lived an alter ego in the way that Bowie did with Ziggy. From donning a full set of clothing to a new personality and utilizing this personality as a method of sexual exploration, it was truly one of the most iconic moves in the music industry at the time.
Jareth the Goblin King
This is the character which Bowie played in one of his first acting roles, Labyrinth. Not only did Bowie don the choppy bleached wig and feathered overcoat for the movie, he also returned to this persona in two of his songs, “Underground” and “As the World Falls Down.”
Thin White Duke
Perhaps Bowie’s most disturbing personality to date, the Thin White Duke at first glance appeared less shocking than Bowie’s other alternate personas, dressed rather conservatively in a cabaret style white shirt, black trousers and waist-coat. However, during this period Bowie regrettably developed a drug problem. But in any case, our favorite Bowie incarnation has always been Bowie himself. After all, it’s not just anyone who can look positively perfection at the age of 67.
