Bowie Fan Tribute/Support Thread

[VenusBlackStar 1,301]

I know there's an actual general "David Bowie" thread and other threads with the recent news, but there are many David Bowie fans here, and I thought it might be nice to have a thread dedicated to sharing feelings/thoughts/stories surrounding David Bowie. I don't really have anyone around me in my day to day life to talk about my love for him at the level of fan I am and maybe some of you are the same way.

 

I've stuff I wanna share later but I thought maybe I'll just get this started to see if it's something that would help other people here in mourning to cope by coming together and sharing positive things about Bowie.

 

[SISTERV 3,887]

It's crazy. I had just listened to him the night before he passed for like six hours straight. I hadn't done that in a while. I was fantasizing about him (not in a dirty way). I can't believe this happened. 

I am not surprised he kept it hidden. He was private and didn't want his last album (which came out three days ago) to be shrouded in attention to his illness over his craft. Shows how much he really cared about his art. 

Reminds me of someone....I think her name is Gaga.

But I cannot believe this happened. I've cried twice already. It's still hasn't sunk in yet. He was decades ahead of his time. He is one of the most important artists of our times. There wouldn't even be a Madonna, Prince, Cyndi Lauper, Boy George without him. 

[Warholian 6,880]

He never lost quality, instead he gained it. Even at 69, an age where most faded rock stars would either be on some hashed out concert tour, playing their old songs, or retired in some cottage home Bowie was just getting started. He only grew in his art and experimentalism.

Blackstar really is quite a masterpiece and to think Bowie was behind it all even at 69 is incredible. He may've died in the later years of his life but he still had much to give. For the most part, I don't care so much when celebrities pass at older ages as, usually, they've passed their prime. Not Bowie.

He exhibitied everything that was so beautiful about counterculture and cultural progression in the 1970s. Artistic and sexual freedom, Warhol, anti-establishment attitudes, space race induced culture shock, fantastic music...

Fortunately, his legacy can live on in countless artists' work including Gaga's. One of the greatest artists of all time, without doubt. 

(probably my favourite Bowie record) 

[VenusBlackStar 1,301]

David Bowie is so special to me. I'm still quite young, so I wasn't witness to very much of David's history, but I'm thankful for what I got to experience. The very first song of his I fell in love with was "Fame." Several years ago, I was at a point where I knew who he was enough to be able to recognize some of the super well-known songs like "Space Oddity" and such, but it actually wasn't until Gaga came along that I began to actively explore his discography, so I have her to thank for this intense passion.

I've read five biographies (and have one I've yet to read) and dug up countless interviews from decades ago on the Internet. It's so important to realize after reading all these biographies how many generations of musical styles he inspired over the years. Two of the big ones are New Wave in the late 70s with his Berlin Trilogy and then the New Romantic thing that happened in the 80s. And of course being some sort of template for every single musician who infuses glam rock into their work.

Bowie is the first artist where I would passionately search for even the most obscure things and take time to actually dive deep into older records, more obscure B-sides, live albums (David Live from 1974 is my favorite one and I'm lucky enough to even have found it on vinyl by chance a few years ago), biographical material, anything I could find. Being a fan of his was like a hobby in itself. I still have yet to watch many of his films.

I think I'm still in denial about it all. Just days ago I went out to buy BlackStar. In fact I'm listening to "I Can't Give Everything Away" right now, and knowing that it's the last song of the last album will probably make me cry so many times. But he's right: he really couldn't have given everything away, because he had so much to offer the world. He could have put out more records for another three decades and the music would be amazing. His creativity never ceased, and I'm so thankful I got to be a part of the excitement surrounding the two album eras I got to witness as a fan: The Next Day and BlackStar.

 

If this thread sticks around I'll probably keep coming back to it to share stuff.

[Church 849]

i'm going to share something here when i can think clearly. david bowie changed my life. if it wasn't for him, i would have never paid attention to the blonde btch wearing his lightening bolt painted on her face...who changed my life as well. 

 

this is an incredibly devastating and utterly shocking time to be a fan. i can feel all our pain, i swear to god i can feel it.

[Church 849]

i wish we could all just hug eachother. i still dont believe it. i refuse to.

[VenusBlackStar 1,301]

3 minutes ago, Church said:

i wish we could all just hug eachother. i still dont believe it. i refuse to.

I'm also in such denial over it. And once it sinks in it's gonna really hit me hard. That man has influenced and affected me in so many ways.

[VenusBlackStar 1,301]

Posting more like I said I would (also bumping in case people just hearing the news want to contribute)

Two of my favorite songs of all time come from his 1977 album "Low"

 

There's an excellent half-biography about David that I read last year called To Major Tom: The Bowie Letters by Dave Thompson. It's a sort of biography in which it contains biographical info about Bowie but it's revealed through the eyes of a fictional super fan who wrote letters to David throughout his entire life. It's an amazing read and also really breaks down what people go through when they're a fan of an artist with highs and lows in his or her career.