David Bowie Pg. 1

 

1947 - 1949

David Robert Jones was born on January 8, 1947, in the Brixton district of London, England. He was the first child of Haywood Stenton Jones, who worked in promotions for the children's charity Barnardo's, and Margaret Mary "Peggy" Burns, a former cinema usherette. Although neither parent was a professional musician, both appreciated music and encouraged creativity at home. Few could have imagined that their son would one day become one of the most influential and innovative performers in the history of popular music.

The 1950s

When David was six years old, the family moved to Bromley in Kent, a suburb southeast of London where he would spend most of his childhood. He attended Burnt Ash Junior School and quickly developed a reputation as a bright, imaginative child with interests that reached far beyond the classroom. While many of his classmates were content simply listening to the latest songs on the radio, David wanted to understand why music affected people the way it did.

The arrival of American rock and roll in Britain made a lasting impression on him. Elvis Presley, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, and Eddie Cochran became early favorites, but his curiosity was never limited to one style. He also absorbed jazz, skiffle, blues, and classical music, building an unusually broad musical foundation before reaching his teenage years.

Perhaps the greatest influence during his childhood came from his much older half-brother, Terry Burns. Terry introduced David to modern jazz, beat literature, philosophy, and artists who challenged conventional thinking. Through Terry, David discovered that creativity was about more than writing songs. It could involve storytelling, visual art, theater, fashion, and constantly questioning expectations. Those lessons would remain with him throughout his life.

David also showed considerable artistic ability at school. He enjoyed drawing and painting almost as much as music, often combining the two interests in projects that reflected his growing imagination. Even before picking up an instrument, he seemed fascinated by the idea of creating complete artistic worlds rather than simply entertaining an audience.

By the end of the decade, David had not yet decided exactly what kind of performer he wanted to become. What he did know was that he wanted to create something different from everyone else.

The 1960s

As the new decade began, David enrolled at Bromley Technical High School, where art teacher Owen Frampton, the father of future guitarist Peter Frampton, recognized his creative potential and encouraged him to pursue it. Around the same time, David began studying the saxophone under respected jazz musician Ronnie Ross. Although he would later become known primarily as a singer and songwriter, the saxophone was his first serious instrument and gave him a solid understanding of melody and musical structure.

By his mid-teens he had expanded to guitar, keyboards, and songwriting while playing in local groups including The Konrads, The King Bees, The Manish Boys, and The Lower Third. Each band moved him a little closer to his goal, but none brought lasting success. Instead of becoming discouraged, David viewed every disappointment as another opportunity to reinvent himself. He constantly changed musical styles, experimented with different looks, and searched for an identity that felt uniquely his own.

One event during his teenage years permanently changed his appearance. In 1962, he became involved in a fight with his friend George Underwood over a girl they both admired. Underwood's punch damaged David's left eye, leaving the pupil permanently dilated. Contrary to popular belief, Bowie did not have two different-colored eyes. Both were blue. The enlarged pupil simply created the illusion of different colors. The accident could easily have ended their friendship, but the two remained close, and Underwood would later design artwork for several Bowie albums.

Another obstacle soon appeared. David Robert Jones shared his name with Davy Jones, who was becoming internationally famous with The Monkees. Realizing that audiences and record companies would inevitably confuse the two, he searched for a new surname. In 1966 he adopted the name Bowie, inspired by the Bowie knife associated with American pioneer Jim Bowie. It was a practical decision, but it also symbolized something larger. David Jones was an aspiring singer. David Bowie could become anyone he imagined.

His early recordings reflected that restless search. Between 1964 and 1968 he released a string of singles that explored rhythm and blues, mod, folk, psychedelic pop, orchestral music, and even novelty songs. None became major hits. Looking back, however, those recordings reveal an artist refusing to be trapped by commercial expectations. Bowie seemed willing to fail repeatedly if each failure taught him something new.

His artistic vision expanded even further after studying mime with Lindsay Kemp. Kemp taught him that movement, posture, makeup, costume, lighting, and silence could tell a story just as effectively as lyrics. Bowie embraced those lessons completely, beginning to think of performance as theater rather than simply singing songs. The seeds of the characters he would later create were planted during these years.

Everything changed in 1969. Just days before Apollo 11 landed on the Moon, Bowie released "Space Oddity," the story of the fictional astronaut Major Tom. The BBC used the song extensively during its coverage of the historic mission, exposing it to millions of viewers across Britain. "Space Oddity" became Bowie's first major hit and finally rewarded years of experimentation.

More importantly, it proved that his willingness to ignore convention had not been a weakness. It had been his greatest strength.

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