I heard the news today…* Bowie’s birthday celebrated, Bowie’s death remembered, Bowie’s inspiration lives on with new music, tributes, reflections and more!
Welcome to my weekly roundup of Bowie news! Click on the bolded article titles to read the originals. This was the anniversary week of both Bowie’s birth and death, so there were a lot of stories somehow related to that. There were also many stories about tribute shows all over the world. I decided not to include those types of stories just because there were too many! I did see a phenomenal tribute show in New York on January 9th, which I’ll write about in a separate post. I am listing the Slinky Vagabond story first because the best kind of tribute to Bowie is new music he continues to inspire. With that said, read on…
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NEWS
Slinky Vagabond Release New Single featuring Bowie alumni! Slinky Vagabond, led by punk fashion icon Keanan Duffty, are set to release their third album, The Eternal Return, on January 14th, featuring contributions from Bowie collaborators Mike Garson and Ava Cherry, along with other notable musicians, and have debuted the first single, “Strange World.”
Iman wishes David Bowie a “happy heavenly birthday.” Iman took to social media to acknowledge her late husband’s birthday (and she still speaks of being married to him, so she doesn’t call him her “late” husband”).
Bowie’s Birthday. I usually don’t link to stories from MSN because they are themselves usually simply links to stories that originated elsewhere. But I’m linking to this one because, amidst the many birthday-related posts, this was really the only one I came across that was more or less a biographical sketch of Bowie. There’s probably little in here that you don’t already know, though.
Blackstar Makes Rolling Stone List of Top 21st Century Albums. Yes, this is a list, but I’m including it in the news section because it’s a Rolling Stone list. And according to Rolling Stone, the one Bowie album to crack the top 250 for the past 25 years was Blackstar, which comes in at #24. I’m not sure how I feel about this in part because the overall list favors the likes of Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and Kanye West, as well as a bunch of acts I’ve never heard of. It throws in what might be career recognition inclusions by the likes of Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Madonna and Leonard Cohen, and it doesn’t include Heathen, Reality or The Next Day. So, what exactly is the criteria? Well, I guess I’d be more dismissive if Blackstar was omitted (by the way, this list calls it Black Star).
Odeon Richmond Bowie Festival. The David Bowie Festival at Odeon Richmond in Richmond, Australia, wrapped up its five-day celebration of Bowie’s 78th birthday from January 8 to January 12. Highlights included a fan exhibition of Bowie collectibles, a listening session featuring rare tracks, a night of trivia and live music, a community event where fans shared personal stories about Bowie, and a Bowie-themed barbecue to close out the festival. The event brought together fans and experts alike, celebrating Bowie’s legacy through music, film, and heartfelt discussions, as part of Odeon Richmond’s vibrant summer programming.
Bowie’s Last Letter? Snopes has examined a text claimed to be David Bowie’s “last letter,” which surfaced on social media in 2024, and found no concrete evidence linking it to Bowie or his estate, noting inconsistencies and the absence of corroboration from official sources or reputable outlets.
Looking to house rats in Hull! The team behind Hull’s upcoming A Mischief of Rats sculpture trail, inspired by David Bowie collaborator Mick Ronson and his band The Rats, is seeking a temporary 3,000 sq ft warehouse in the Hull area to decorate and store 40 giant rat sculptures ahead of their public unveiling later this year.
AI Shows What Bowie Might have looked like at 78. This story is framed around the premise that the aforementioned images depict what Bowie might have looked like today, however I think I’ve seen these before, so they might be of what he might have looked like at 77 or 76. At some point in the very near future, AI-generated images probably won’t generate news stories at all.
The Tour that Nearly Killed Bowie. This story recounts Bowie’s harrowing final tour, before his decade-long retreat to recover from health challenges beginning in 2004.
Record Store Day 2025 date confirmed. This article mentions that Bowie’s Waiting in the Sky (Before the Starman Came to Earth) was released in conjunction with Record Store Day last year. It doesn’t mention anything Bowie-related for 2025, but I’m expecting that there will be something. Bowie releases have been big sellers on Record Store Day in the past.
Bowie the Red Panda Dies!. In the anniversary week of David Bowie’s death, a red panda named after him living in a zoo in New Jersey has passed away. As you can imagine, there were several news stories on this topic.
Hippie Names Dog Bowie After Phish Song. Before you get mad— this is satire! It’s funny! Don’t take it seriously!
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REFLECTIONS
Anniversary of Blackstar’s Release. The anniversary of Bowie’s final album will probably always be noted because it was released on his birthday and two days before he died. there were several stories reflecting on the album, including this one which is largely a reprint of an original story from 2016.
Bowie’s 50th Birthday Concert. I’m still mad at my sister for getting tickets and attending this concert without me!!!
Dylan wanted Bowie to produce Infidels. Bob Dylan initially considered David Bowie as a potential producer for his album, Infidels, highlighting the album’s bold creative direction, which ultimately featured Mark Knopfler’s refined production, reggae influences from Sly & Robbie, and Dylan’s experimental critique of humanity’s flaws, all contributing to its enduring impact.
When Bowie played Hong Kong. David Bowie’s record-breaking, sold-out concerts at Hong Kong’s Coliseum capped off his 1983 Serious Moonlight tour with monumental success despite audience behavior complaints.
“Changes.” Amidst all the other Bowie related anniversaries of the week was the anniversary of the 1972 release of “Changes.” This brief post reflects on the song.
“The Laughing Gnome.” I once asserted that this is inarguably Bowie’s worst song. Although I no longer agree with my own statement, this article claims that it took Bowie a long time to “get over” it (the song, not my comment).
The Elvis-Bowie Connection. Elvis and Bowie shared more than the same birthday (January 8th)— they also both had a song called “Blackstar” (or was Elvis’s called, “Black Star?”) In any case, this album speculates that the King may have inspired the Duke’s final album.
Bowie’s last public performance. This article considers three public appearances in 2005, 2006 and 2007 as contenders for the designation as Bowie’s final public performance. Fortunately there are links to videos.
Bowie’s Irish Links. This article focuses on Irish musical, literary and cultural influences on Bowie.
Exploring Non-Human Aesthetics. Bowie is only mentioned in passing, but there could be an entire article on his use of part-human imagery, from his half-dog visage on the cover of Diamond Dogs to the space girl with a tail in the ‘Blackstar” video and many others.
Bowie Autopsy Documentary. This story is about Autopsy: The Final Hours of David Bowie, which I have no interest in seeing and find the premise to be somewhat dubious. But if you want to know more about it, click to link to the story.
Young Americans: The inside story of David Bowie’s great album from 1975 . In that 2025 is the album’s 50th anniversary, I’m expecting many more reflections like this one throughout the year.
Johnny Rotten’s First Encounter with Bowie. Turns out the Sex Pistols and PIL singer was not respectful. I’m shocked. SHOCKED!
The “David’s Dead” Incident from Celebrity Big Brother. The story of how Angie Bowie learned of David Bowie’s death while she was doing a reality show, and someone else though she was upset about another David having died gets retold around this time every year. In case you missed it before, here’s the story.
Inside Bowie’s Private Cancer Battle and Why Iman Says He Is Still “Ever Present.”. This People story seems like its more for people with a passing familiarity with Bowie, but its a decent summary of some of the basic facts surrounding his death.
Remembering Bowie Through Musical Tributes. The best thing about this recap of Bowie tributes is that it includes links to several videos of them.
Photos of David Bowie and Iman’s greatest style moments. This post includes 30 photos of the “fashion power couple.”
Bowie’s Life in Photos. This People feature does what it promises in that it includes several very nice photos of Bowie.
The Impact of “Heroes.” Marking the anniversary of David Bowie’s passing, this piece explores how the song “Heroes” and Bowie’s Berlin Era reflect his transformative artistry and retrospective impact.
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PROFLIES
Adrian Belew. The guitarist talks guitars, specifically his Stratocaster, which appeared on albums by Bowie, Frank Zappa and others.
Magenta Moon. Band members Joey Petrarca and Elaina Whitesell discuss performing “Moonage Daydream” among other topics.
Suzi Ronson. This somewhat sensationalized story is built on a one-off line from Suzi’s memoir, in which she referred to herself as Bowie’s “tour madam.”
The Kooks. Bowie is mentioned in passing here, and not because this band took its name from his song, “Kooks.”
Laurie Brown. Former CBC arts journalist Brown discusses interviewing Bowie. This is a post that links to a fairly brief video clip in which the former journalist talks about interviewing Bowie including for what I think was on the occasion he was in Toronto for the first concert of his I ever attended. (She does not mention me).
Brian Eno. Well, it looks like we’ll all have to wait longer for Brian Eno to come on to my blog as an interview guest. He says he doesn’t like being “revered” or talking about David Bowie. Sheesh!
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LISTS
10 Surprising Times Rock Legends Went Disco. “Fame” is on the list, which I guess is accurate to call surprising in the context of the time it was released. The write-up notes that it’s the only song on the list that pre-dated Saturday Night Fever, suggesting that, as usual, Bowie was ahead of the curve. It does not say that Bowie is mentioned in Saturday Night Fever, which he is!
The 8 Best David Bowie Covers for “The Man Who Sold The World” Predictably, Nirvana’s cover is #1 on this list, but surprisingly, I had never come across six of the others!
4 Iconic David Bowie Fashion Moments That Changed Pop Culture. Unexpected entry on this list– the baggy suit (wasn’t that more a David Byrne thing?)
Bowie’s 20 greatest ever songs, ranked. We’ve seen this type of list before but I think this particular list is actually new. Though all of these songs are well known, I’m mildly surprised by one or two of the selections (and yes, my list would look very different).
11 of Bowie’s most unabashed queer moments. This is a good list, with a focus on his early career when he drew more attention to his fluid sexual orientation. That said, Bowie never entirely dropped the connection. For instance, one of his final songs, “Girl Loves Me” from Blackstar uses the Polari dialect, which was a kind of code used by gays, especially in England and especially in the 60s. Though that’s not on this particular list.
4 of David Bowie’s Best Collaborations. I was not expecting Giorgio Moroder to make the list, but he’s on it and…Queen is not! Scandal! See the list to find out about the other three.
Bowie’s 25 Favorite Vinyl Records. This list is based on Bowie’s 2003 selection of 25 vinyl records from his personal collection, spanning spoken word, classical, underground rock, and more, which he described as albums that “could change your reputation.”
10 bands that may not have existed without Bowie. I’m not sure that Morrissey is going to be too happy at the suggestion that the Smiths might not have existed were it not for Bowie, but that’s one of the bands on this list.
4 of David Bowie’s Best Late-Career Songs. I was glad to see that this brief list pulls only from The Next Day and Blackstar and doesn’t count anything from the 90s or early 2000s as “late-career.”
The Top 10 most famous Classic Rock album cover locations. The cover for Ziggy Stardust is on the list.
Nine Famous Bisexuals. I’m including this link in the list section, but its really a review of the book Uneven: Nine Lives That Redefined Bisexuality, by Sam Mills which itself seems like a list of sorts. And yes, Bowie is included.
10 great underrated and “lost” singles by the biggest artists. “D.J.” Is on the list. “D.J.”. I guess I can accept “underrated,” but how is that song “lost?”
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FAR OUT MAGZINE
The online magazine always manages to post Bowie stories. This week featured:
1. Joe Elliott on why Kurt Cobain was “not very good” at lead guitar
2. The song David Bowie desperately wanted to be “fucked up”
3. ”Space Oddity”: The legendary movie that inspired David Bowie’s landmark hit
4. The one musician who left Henry Rollins scared stiff: “I go rigid”
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THIS WEEK IN THIS BLOG
January 5: Last Week’s News
January 7: Marc Lowe to release Bowie tribute album and will return to this blog in new interview Saturday!
January 8: Bowie Birthday Reflection: Defiance, Perversion, Regret and Acceptance: Bowie’s March Toward Oblivion
January 9: 2024 in Review: Visions of Bowie— the Artist as Art
January 10: Where Are We Now? The State of this Blog on the Anniversary of Bowie’s Death
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And with that, “we’ve finished our news…”*
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*“I’ve heard the news today” is Bowie’s adaptation of the Beatles lyric, which is heard in “Young Americans.” **“We’ve finished our news” is a line from, “Oh You Pretty Things”