While many pop and rock stars are capable having a few “hit” records while also having a fashion style for their fans to follow, true music superstars are the ones who have longevity and inventiveness to come up with hits over several decades, often with completely different musical and visual styles. And thus, the influential and trend-setting British pop star/artist and bisexual style-chameleon, David Bowie, fits easily into this category. Sadly, it is now the late David Bowie as Bowie died from cancer a few days after his birthday in January at the age of 69.
Bowie’s passing drew tributes from this fellow artists Madonna, Pharrell Williams and Iggy Pop, and such was his influence, even gained a tribute from UK Prime minister David Cameron and, even more surprisingly, one from the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby as well.
While David Bowie had hits ranging the very catchy “Changes”, the anthem-like “All the young dudes”, to the avant garde notes of “Ashes to Ashes”, much of his work and lyrics also happened to be spaceflight-influenced including “Starman”, “Life on Mars” along with the video of his most recent morbidly-orientated “Blackstar”.
Similarly, while his film credits included film Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (1983) and Labyrinth (1986) his breakthrough role was a space alien one in The man who fell to Earth (1976).
In fact, the innovative and pro-progress, David Bowie, rose to fame on the back of spaceflight. For at the peak of the NASA Apollo era at the tail end of the 1960s he had his first hit with that most excellent of space tunes, “Space Oddity”. This soulful song, which did even better a few years later on re-release, and which was recently famously “covered” by Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield during his time on the International Space Station, beautifully describes in ode form, the experiences of a space mission for an astronaut called “Major Tom”.
Understandably, there has been salute from Chris Hadfield, as well as one from the currently orbiting British astronaut “Major Tim” Peake.
Even the Vatican, via its cultural spokesman, Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, made a statement via Twitter quoting the song:
“Ground Control to Major Tom Commencing countdown, engines on Check ignition and may God’s love be with you (David Bowie)”
As such, to David Bowie, we also give our salute, and to his family and friends we give our sympathy.
Space Oddity with lyrics is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nP6xBFyA_aw
David Bowie was not the only notable to pass away in January. We also salute the much loved British actor, Alan Rickman, also passed away from cancer in January at the age of 69. His space connection is that he played Dr Lazerus, the unintentional science officer/actor, in the fun science fiction parody Galaxy Quest (1999). Alan Rickman was a talented actor who specialised in excellent villains such as the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) and the terrorist leader Hans Gruber in Die Hard (1988). We give our condolences to his family and to his friends.
It is also sad to report the death in December of notable British rocket scientist, John Scott-Scott. He previously worked on the Black Arrow rocket project during the 1960s and early 1970s, as well as, more recently, on the Reaction Engines’ Skylon space plane effort before he finally retired in 2011. We give our condolences to his family and his friends.
In Memoriam:
This is in memory of the NASA crew of seven astronauts of the Space Shuttle Challenger STS-51L who lost their lives thirty years ago during its launch disaster in January 1986.
Post Script: Finally, this is just very brief mention of the passing of your correspondent’s Uncle, John Surridge, who sadly died in November at the all-too-young age of 64. As a BOAC and British Airways steward and purser from the late 1960s onwards, Uncle Johny’s jet-set travel-the-world lifestyle very much impressed us youngsters in the family at the time. But really it was his sense of fun and his amusing quips that we loved him for. For while he was not entirely politically correct, he was very much the funny wit of the family. While your correspondent still aspires to one day gaining that title, for the time being he remains very much just the half-wit of the family. 😉
