David Bowie. 1947-2016

1947-2016

 I never understood people getting upset about celebrities dying they didn't personally know, until right now. When someone continuously impacts your life musically, personally, and creatively like this man did for me, it's as personal as it gets. I feel like I lost a best friend tonight. I don't even know where to begin sorting out the flood of thoughts on the subject.

One of the many reasons I have always looked up to Bowie was his approach to life itself. He always seemed to have such a good time, all the time. Hundreds of musicians, actors, TV hosts all mentioned how hilarious and warm he always was to be around. He always had his hands on something creative, and if he didn't, he was celebrating unique bands, books, or films being created around him. As big of a "star" as he was, I feel like he talked more about other bands, books, or films he drew inspiration for. That's so fucking important! People don't write almost 30 studio albums without drawing from a source of inspiration and it's great that he always opened up to where that came from. 

I think it was great so many people all over the world were impacted by David's music. Most people freak out when celebrities die. It's just how the world works. It really seemed like this one shook a little longer to a lot more people all over the world. I got a little bit of shit from a few friends for being upset, but most understood how much he meant to me. My phone blew up with over 20 different people making sure I was ok, including a very worried mother the next morning, as if one of my family members had passed. That made it sting 100 times worse.

I could go on for hours about amazing projects he's been in, helped out, or been inspired by. His albums have made countless appearances in this blog as most listened to, most inspiring, weekly favorite records, favorite lyrics, etc. To me, David Bowie is the last of his generations legit human being musicians. There are plenty of "icons" left, but very few as unique as Bowie.

Even the way he went about his death was unique. He went into studios recording his record just as driven and positive as ever. The studio musicians he worked with claimed he was very present at every session, singing while they were tracking in the same room, making jokes.. I know people half his age who come bitching and moaning, treating recording sessions like they're jobs, or just all around being bummers. By now means did Bowie need to be in the studio. He was there because he had a last huge wave of inspiration and was excited to be working hard to get those songs out of his head. That is such a wonderful and inspiring thing.

Even in his last weeks as pictured here, he was still smiling and inspired..

Bowie has always and forever been an extremely private human. Most die hard fans could spot the red flags in the Blackstar release. I immediately found it odd that this was his first release that did not have his face on the cover, just a simple black star. Then the song Lazerus was released, and my worry only heightened.

 Most of Bowie's lyrics and visuals are a bit abstract, with multiple ways for fans to take what was said or shown. This video to me could not be any more clear. He's struggling in a hospital bed, blind folded, singing the track that starts with "Look up here, I'm in Heaven." He then sits restlessly, dressed in an old shirt he wore as Bowie in the Station to Station era (photo below) looking fresh and focused writing lyrics down as he stares death (the skull on the desk) in the face. He's then (towards the end of the video) becoming so weak that he can no longer write. He shuffles into a closet, closing the door. There are a lot of various ways this video can be stretched to assume, but I feel like this may have been Bowie's obvious and fragile goodbye.

His death obviously took the public by surprise, but many of his long time friends and collaborators were not even aware of his cancer diagnosis, let alone that he was so close to checking out.

 "I received an email from him seven days ago. It was as funny as always, and as surreal, looping through word games and allusions and all the usual stuff we did. It ended with this sentence: 'Thank you for our good times, brian. they will never rot'. And it was signed 'Dawn'. I realize now he was saying goodbye."
 -Brian Eno 
(Long time friend, producer, and collaborator)

"His death was no different from his life - a work of Art. He made Blackstar for us, his parting gift."

"You canny bastard! You're writing a farewell album. Bowie simply laughed in response" 
 - Tony Visconti 
(Long time friend and producer of previous records, including his latest Blackstar)

More heartbreaking than the death itself is that the chemo had apparently been working. He planned to do a follow up to Blackstar!

"He was optimistic because he was doing the chemo and it was working," says Visconti, "and at one point in the middle of last year, he was in remission. I was thrilled. And he was a bit apprehensive. He said, 'Well, don't celebrate too quickly. For now I'm in remission, and we'll see how it goes.' And he continued the chemotherapy. So I thought he was going to make it. And in November, it just suddenly came back. It had spread all over his body, so there's no recovering from that."
- Tony Visconti 

Thank you for the music, the laughs, the knowledge, the live shows, the hairstyles, the movies, the outlooks on life, the inspiration, and for visiting Earth for the short time you did. Goodbye David Bowie.


-Novak