By Beth Dean
I feel leaving his death going undocumented here would be a crime. The man left an indelible mark on music and pop culture, he made it okay to be different and cool to produce something that didn’t follow the trends of the time, whilst still somehow managing to move with different trends of music and stay current. He is an icon that defined more than one generation, and his music is the soundtrack to the lives of masses.
Bowie blurred the boundaries of gender and sexuality far before that was an accepted thing to do. Walking in front of the camera in a full face of make-up as Ziggy Stardust in 1972, to perform Starman to an audience who deemed him a one hit wonder with Space Oddity, resulted in him converting even some of the most conservative ‘70’s Top of the Pops viewers to a lifetime of Bowie admiration.
Modern alternative music that breaks molds and pushes boundaries has David Bowie to thank for starting it all. The timeless icon kept the love of the public with every new endeavor he pursued, whether it was his New Romantic stint, or the flawless 2016 album that has sung him out, ‘Blackstar’. The album was written by Bowie in the midst of his 18-month struggle with cancer, and the lyrics resonate a final farewell to everything he loves. He sings in the single ‘Lazarus’ of being free, and how everybody knows him now, as he leaves his final mark on the world of music just 3 days before his death.
The impact he had on the lives of everyday people in his early days was huge, particularly in the LGBT community. Coming out as bisexual, in a Britain that had only legalised being homosexual a mere 5 years before, and challenging gender norms across the board gave the community a much needed figurehead, pre-Freddie Mercury’s coming out or the existence of Boy George’s music career. He was then, and still remained throughout his years, a beacon of hope for those who felt different in a country that was still so filled with prejudice and uncertainty.
On the 11th of January, 2016, the world lost an important figure of acceptance, uniqueness and musical diversity. His love for life and the pure elegance and poise he radiated in all aspects of his performance career will be a gift the world was arguably never thankful enough for in his life, but that they will never forget in his death.
Author, Beth Dean
ICM Contributor
