CHARISMATIC FACTS ABOUT DAVID BOWIE

BOWIE GOT THE IDEA FOR HIS ZIGGY STARDUST

PERSONA AFTER A CHANCE ENCOUNTER IN

LONDON’S CARNABY STREET WITH WASHED-UP

POP STAR AND ACID FREAK VINCE TAYLOR.

INTERESTINGLY, THE ALBUM COVER WAS SHOT

JUST AROUND THE CORNER ON HADDON STREET

BOWIE WAS OFFERED A KNIGHTHOOD BY THE QUEEN

IN 2003, BUT TURNED IT DOWN. HE TOLD THE SUN,

“I WOULD NEVER HAVE ANY INTENTION OF ACCEPTING

ANYTHING LIKE THAT. I SERIOUSLY DON’T KNOW

WHAT IT’S FOR. IT’S NOT WHAT I SPENT MY

LIFE WORKING FOR.”

IN 1970 WHEN BOWIE BRIEFLY FORMED THE HYPE

(ORIGINALLY CALLED HARRY THE BUTCHER AND

THEN DAVID BOWIE’S IMAGINATION), EVERYONE IN

THE BAND DRESSED UP AS SUPERHEROES.

THEY WERE RIDICULED AND BOOED OUT OF

EVERYWHERE THEY PLAYED, LITERALLY

CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF, DAVID BOWIE’S EYES

WERE NOT TWO DIFFERENT COLOURS. THEY ONLY

APPEARED SO BECAUSE ONE EYE HAD A

PERMANENTLY DILATED PUPIL, THE RESULT OF A FIGHT

BLACKSTAR, BOWIE’S TWENTY-FIFTH AND FINAL

STUDIO ALBUM, WAS RELEASED THROUGH HIS ISO

RECORD LABEL ON JANUARY 8, 2016, HIS SIXTY-NINTH

BIRTHDAY, AND TWO DAYS BEFORE HIS DEATH

ALWAYS AHEAD OF HIS TIME, BOWIE WAS THE FIRST

MUSICIAN TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE INTERNET

WHEN IT STARTED TO TAKE OFF. IN 1997 HE

RELEASED THE SINGLE “TELLING LIES” ONLINE ONLY

EVEN THOUGH AN ENGLISHMAN, HE HAD AN EXTREME

TEA PHOBIA DUE TO A “HORRIBLE INCIDENT” (AS HE

DESCRIBED IT) WITH A CUP OF TEA WHEN HE WAS FIVE.

AFTER THIS INCIDENT HE NEVER DRANK TEA AGAIN

BOWIE’S OLDER, SCHIZOPHRENIC HALF-BROTHER

TERRY KILLED HIMSELF IN 1985. HE WAS THE

INSPIRATION FOR MANY OF BOWIE’S SONGS INCLUDING

“ALADDIN SANE,” “ALL THE MADMEN,”

“THE BEWLAY BROTHERS,” AND “JUMP THEY SAY.”