profile

David Bowie

1947-01-08 (77 years old) in Brixton, London, England, UK

David Robert Jones (8 January 1947 – 10 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie, was an English singer, songwriter and actor. He was a figure in popular music for over five decades, regarded by critics and musicians as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s. His career was marked by reinvention and visual presentation, his music and stagecraft significantly influencing popular music. During his lifetime, his record sales, estimated at 140 million worldwide, made him one of the world's best-selling music artists. In the UK, he was awarded nine platinum album certifications, eleven gold and eight silver, releasing eleven number-one albums. In the US, he received five platinum and seven gold certifications. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. Born and raised in South London, Bowie developed an interest in music as a child, eventually studying art, music and design before embarking on a professional career as a musician in 1963. "Space Oddity" became his first top-five entry on the UK Singles Chart after its release in July 1969. After a period of experimentation, he re-emerged in 1972 during the glam rock era with his flamboyant and androgynous alter ego Ziggy Stardust. The character was spearheaded by the success of his single "Starman" and album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, which won him widespread popularity. In 1975, Bowie's style shifted radically towards a sound he characterised as "plastic soul", initially alienating many of his UK devotees but garnering him his first major US crossover success with the number-one single "Fame" and the album Young Americans. In 1976, Bowie starred in the cult film The Man Who Fell to Earth and released Station to Station. The following year, he further confounded musical expectations with the electronic-inflected album Low (1977), the first of three collaborations with Brian Eno that would come to be known as the "Berlin Trilogy". "Heroes" (1977) and Lodger (1979) followed; each album reached the UK top five and received lasting critical praise. After uneven commercial success in the late 1970s, Bowie had UK number ones with the 1980 single "Ashes to Ashes", its parent album Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps), and "Under Pressure", a 1981 collaboration with Queen. He then reached his commercial peak in 1983 with Let's Dance, with its title track topping both UK and US charts. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Bowie continued to experiment with musical styles, including industrial and jungle. Bowie also continued acting; his roles included Major Celliers in Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983), the Goblin King Jareth in Labyrinth (1986), Pontius Pilate in The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), and Nikola Tesla in The Prestige (2006), among other film and television appearances and cameos. He stopped concert touring after 2004 and his last live performance was at a charity event in 2006. In 2013, Bowie returned from a decade-long recording hiatus with the release of The Next Day. He remained musically active until he died of liver cancer two days after the release of his final album, Blackstar (2016).

Movies

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Dear Bowie
40 %|Dec 6, 2023
Documentary
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WHAM!
73 %|Jun 27, 2023
Documentary, Music
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The Lost Weekend: A Love Story
60 %|Apr 13, 2023
Documentary
poster
LOLA
65.99000000000001 %|Apr 7, 2023
Drama, Science Fiction, War
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Nam June Paik: Moon Is the Oldest TV
68 %|Mar 24, 2023
Documentary
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Moonage Daydream
75.24 %|Sep 15, 2022
Documentary, Music
poster
Mickey: The Story of a Mouse
70 %|Mar 19, 2022
Documentary
poster
2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
0 %|Nov 20, 2021
Music, Documentary
poster
The Velvet Underground
68 %|Oct 15, 2021
Documentary, Music
poster
David Bowie: Out of this World
58 %|Apr 20, 2021
Documentary, Music
poster
Zappa
73 %|Nov 27, 2020
Music, Documentary
poster
WBCN and the American Revolution
50 %|Apr 18, 2019
Documentary
poster
David Bowie: Glastonbury 2000
0 %|Nov 27, 2018
Music, Documentary
poster
Der Reichstag
80 %|Dec 19, 2017
History, Documentary, TV Movie
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Julian Schnabel: A Private Portrait
72 %|May 5, 2017
Documentary
poster
Bowie: The Man Who Changed the World
57 %|May 9, 2016
Documentary, Music
poster
Burden
59 %|Apr 16, 2016
Documentary
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Night Flight: Born Again
0 %|Apr 10, 2016
Documentary, Music
poster
David Bowie I Love You (Since I Was Six)
0 %|Jan 29, 2016
Documentary, Music
poster
Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces
72.8 %|Jul 16, 2014
Thriller, Drama, Mystery
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David Bowie Is Happening Now
58 %|Aug 13, 2013
Documentary
actor
David Bowie at the BBC
0 %|Jun 23, 2012
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The Love We Make
72 %|Sep 10, 2011
Music, Documentary
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Acoustic at the BBC
48 %|Sep 2, 2011
Music
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Bandslam
58 %|Aug 6, 2009
Comedy, Drama, Family, Music, Romance
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August
52 %|May 16, 2008
Drama
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Arthur and the Invisibles
64.03999999999999 %|Dec 13, 2006
Adventure, Fantasy, Animation, Family
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The Prestige
82.03 %|Oct 17, 2006
Drama, Mystery, Science Fiction
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Live Aid Against All Odds
0 %|Jun 15, 2005
Documentary, Music
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Inside the Music
0 %|Jan 1, 2005
Music, Documentary
poster
Bowie: A Reality Tour
82 %|Oct 13, 2004
Music, Documentary
poster
Rockthology 2
0 %|Aug 26, 2004
Music, Documentary
poster
Queen: Greatest Video Hits 2
84 %|Nov 3, 2003
Music
poster
The Rutles 2: Can't Buy Me Lunch
56 %|Aug 16, 2003
Comedy, Music, TV Movie
poster
Supergroups
0 %|Nov 11, 2002
Music
poster
Hollywood Rocks the Movies: The 1970s
0 %|Aug 30, 2002
Documentary
poster
David Bowie: Live at Montreux
0 %|Jul 18, 2002
Music
poster
David Bowie: Best of Bowie
70 %|Jun 30, 2002
Music
poster
David Bowie: Live by Request
0 %|Jun 15, 2002
Music
poster
The Concert for New York City
45 %|Oct 20, 2001
Documentary, History, Music
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Zoolander
62.04 %|Sep 28, 2001
Comedy
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Mr. Rice's Secret
60 %|Dec 22, 2000
Drama, Family
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The Filth and the Fury
70 %|Mar 29, 2000
Documentary, Music
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Everybody Loves Sunshine
48 %|Mar 20, 1999
Crime, Action
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Gunslinger's Revenge
45 %|Dec 18, 1998
Western, Comedy
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Lou Reed: Rock and Roll Heart
70 %|Apr 29, 1998
Music, Documentary
poster
Goldie: When Saturn Returns
70 %|Jan 1, 1998
Documentary
poster
Nine Inch Nails: Closure
74 %|Nov 25, 1997
Music, Documentary
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David Bowie: Earthling On TV
0 %|Oct 14, 1997
Music
poster
David Bowie: An Earthling at 50
0 %|Jan 1, 1997
Documentary, Music
poster
Basquiat
66 %|Aug 9, 1996
Drama, History
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David Bowie: Rockpalast
90 %|Jun 11, 1996
Music
poster
The History of Rock 'n' Roll
100 %|Mar 6, 1995
Documentary, Music
poster
The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert
83 %|Apr 22, 1992
Music, Documentary
poster
Queen: Greatest Flix II
88 %|May 24, 1991
Music
poster
The Linguini Incident
65 %|May 1, 1991
Comedy, Crime
poster
Imagine: John Lennon
69 %|Sep 30, 1988
Documentary, Music
poster
The Last Temptation of Christ
72.46000000000001 %|May 28, 1988
Drama
poster
David Bowie: Glass Spider
82 %|Jan 1, 1988
Music, Documentary
poster
Inside the Labyrinth
76 %|Dec 13, 1986
Documentary
poster
Labyrinth
73 %|Jun 27, 1986
Adventure, Family, Fantasy
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Absolute Beginners
55 %|Apr 4, 1986
Drama, Music, Romance
poster
Live Aid
79 %|Jul 13, 1985
Music, Documentary
poster
David Bowie at Live Aid
0 %|Jul 13, 1985
Music, Documentary
poster
Into the Night
65.16 %|Feb 22, 1985
Thriller, Comedy
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Video AID
0 %|Jan 1, 1985
Music
poster
David Bowie: The Serious Moonlight Tour
65 %|Feb 12, 1984
Music, Documentary
poster
David Bowie: Serious Moonlight
86 %|Feb 1, 1984
Music
poster
Yellowbeard
54.89 %|Jun 24, 1983
Comedy, Adventure
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Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence
73 %|May 28, 1983
Drama, History, War
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The Hunger
67 %|Apr 29, 1983
Horror, Drama
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Cool Cats: 25 Years of Rock 'n' Roll Style
83 %|Jan 1, 1983
Music, Documentary
poster
Baal
44 %|Feb 2, 1982
Music, Drama, TV Movie
poster
Christiane F.
73.23 %|Apr 2, 1981
Drama
poster
The Sensational Shocking Wonderful Wacky 70's
0 %|Jan 4, 1980
Music, Documentary
poster
Just a Gigolo
48 %|Nov 16, 1978
Drama
poster
David Bowie On Stage
0 %|Apr 10, 1978
Music
actor
Fame
0 %|Jun 23, 1976
Animation, Music
poster
The Man Who Fell to Earth
64 %|Mar 18, 1976
Science Fiction, Drama
poster
Cracked Actor
72 %|Jan 26, 1975
Documentary, Music
poster
The 1980 Floor Show
0 %|Nov 16, 1973
Documentary, Music
poster
The Image
47 %|Jan 1, 1969
Horror
poster
Are We Not Men?
0 %|Invalid Date
Documentary
poster
Twiggy
0 %|Mar 7, 2025
Documentary
poster
Eno
0 %|Jul 12, 2024
Documentary, Music
poster
TIME
0 %|Jun 26, 2024
Documentary, Music
poster
Jim Henson Idea Man
78 %|May 18, 2024
Documentary
poster
My Way
0 %|May 16, 2024
Documentary, Music
poster
Devo
0 %|Jan 21, 2024
Documentary, Music
poster
Thriller 40
86 %|Dec 2, 2023
Documentary, Music
poster
Freddie Mercury: The Final Act
68 %|Apr 20, 2022
Documentary, Music
poster
Moby Doc
61 %|May 28, 2021
Documentary, Music
poster
The Dancing Man of L.A.
0 %|May 24, 2021
Documentary
actor
David Bowie: London Boy
60 %|Jan 10, 2021
Documentary
poster
Françoise Hardy : tant de belles choses
80 %|Jun 1, 2020
Documentary, Music
poster
My Music: A Classic Christmas
75 %|Nov 16, 2019
Music, Family
poster
The Show Must Go On: The Queen + Adam Lambert Story
75 %|Apr 29, 2019
Music, Documentary
poster
David Bowie: Finding Fame
69 %|Feb 9, 2019
Documentary, Music
poster
Glastonbury 2000
85 %|Nov 30, 2018
Music
poster
Freddie Mercury: The King of Queen
72 %|Jun 5, 2018
Documentary
poster
Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda
74 %|Nov 4, 2017
Documentary, Music
poster
Glam Rock at the BBC
65 %|Sep 15, 2017
Music
poster
Shot! The Psycho-Spiritual Mantra of Rock
68 %|Jul 21, 2017
Documentary, Music
poster
Beside Bowie: The Mick Ronson Story
82 %|May 9, 2017
Documentary, Music
poster
Bowie at the BBC
60 %|Jan 13, 2017
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David Bowie: The Last Five Years
72 %|Jan 7, 2017
Music, Documentary
poster
Gaga for Dada: The Original Art Rebels
50 %|Sep 21, 2016
Documentary
poster
David Bowie: The Man Who Stole the World
65 %|Apr 26, 2016
Documentary, Music
poster
Das Prinzip Dada
70 %|Feb 6, 2016
Documentary
poster
David Bowie: Sound and Vision
80 %|Jan 12, 2016
Documentary
poster
David Bowie: Starman
78 %|Jan 11, 2016
Documentary
poster
David Bowie: On the Rock Trail
80 %|Dec 8, 2015
Documentary
poster
Let's Dance: Bowie Down Under
20 %|Feb 10, 2015
Documentary
poster
B-Movie: Lust & Sound in West-Berlin 1979-1989
77.95 %|Feb 5, 2015
Documentary, Music
poster
Wilde Jahre West-Berlin
0 %|Jan 1, 2015
Documentary
poster
Bing Crosby: Rediscovered
70 %|Dec 2, 2014
Documentary
poster
Soul Boys of the Western World
60 %|Sep 30, 2014
Documentary, Music
poster
David Bowie: Five Years
75 %|May 25, 2013
Documentary, Music
actor
Vanilla Ice Archive
0 %|Jul 16, 2012
Documentary, Music
poster
Clockwork Orange County
60 %|Jul 4, 2012
Documentary
poster
David Bowie & The Story of Ziggy Stardust
72 %|Jun 22, 2012
Documentary, Music
poster
The Genius of David Bowie
0 %|Jun 22, 2012
Music
poster
The Sacred Triangle: Bowie, Iggy & Lou 1971-1973
68 %|Oct 18, 2010
Music, Documentary
poster
David Bowie: Rare and Unseen
0 %|Jan 1, 2010
Documentary
poster
Krautrock: The Rebirth of Germany
72 %|Oct 22, 2009
Documentary, Music
poster
David Bowie: VH1 Storytellers
65 %|Jul 14, 2009
Music
poster
Kings of Glam
0 %|Nov 22, 2008
Music, Documentary
poster
SpongeBob's Atlantis SquarePantis
69 %|Nov 12, 2007
Family, Animation, TV Movie
poster
Scott Walker: 30 Century Man
69 %|Apr 27, 2007
Documentary, Music
poster
David Bowie - Total Rock Review
0 %|Sep 26, 2006
Music
poster
David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust
60 %|Mar 27, 2006
Music
poster
Best of Bowie
0 %|Jan 25, 2006
Music, Documentary
poster
David Bowie: Under Review 1976-79
75 %|Jan 11, 2006
Music, Documentary
poster
The Work of Director Mark Romanek
83 %|Sep 13, 2005
Music, Documentary
poster
TV Party
70 %|Aug 3, 2005
Documentary, Music
poster
Live Aid: 20 Years Ago Today
0 %|Jul 13, 2005
Music, Documentary
poster
Live Aid
91 %|Nov 16, 2004
Music
poster
The Nomi Song
65 %|Oct 14, 2004
Documentary, Music
poster
Pixies: Gouge
73 %|Apr 27, 2004
Music, Documentary
poster
David Bowie - Sound and Vision
100 %|Nov 12, 2003
Music, Documentary
poster
Mayor of the Sunset Strip
69 %|Jun 17, 2003
Documentary, Music
poster
Hr. Vinterberg & Mr. Bowie
0 %|Jul 29, 2002
Documentary
poster
David Bowie: Live Olympia Paris
95 %|Jul 1, 2002
Music
poster
David Bowie - Heathen
0 %|Jun 10, 2002
Music
poster
Classic Albums: Lou Reed - Transformer
65 %|Dec 3, 2001
Music, Documentary
poster
Bowie at the BBC
58 %|Jun 27, 2000
Music
poster
David Bowie: Roseland Ballroom, NYC
0 %|Jun 19, 2000
Music, Documentary, TV Movie
poster
The Ten Commandments of Creativity
80 %|Feb 1, 2000
Documentary
poster
A Bing Crosby Christmas
0 %|Jan 1, 1998
Music, Documentary, Comedy
poster
The Making of the 'Outside' Album
0 %|Dec 1, 1995
Documentary, Music
poster
Nine Inch Nails & David Bowie: Dissonance
90 %|Oct 18, 1995
Music, Documentary
poster
The World of Jim Henson
73 %|Nov 23, 1994
Documentary
poster
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me
74 %|Jun 3, 1992
Drama, Mystery, Horror
poster
Bugs Bunny/Looney Tunes All-Star 50th Anniversary
67 %|Jan 14, 1986
Animation, Comedy, Documentary
poster
Tokyo Melody: A Film About Ryuichi Sakamoto
70 %|Apr 9, 1985
Documentary, Music
poster
Ricochet
100 %|Mar 27, 1984
Documentary, Music
poster
The Oshima Gang
0 %|Dec 31, 1983
Documentary
poster
Group Madness
0 %|Jun 11, 1983
Documentary
poster
Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas
70 %|Nov 30, 1977
Music, Family, Comedy
poster
Night Lunch
50 %|Dec 9, 1975
Music, Documentary
poster
The Virgin Soldiers
66 %|Oct 14, 1969
War, Comedy, Drama

Series

poster
Il était une fois Champs-Élysées
66 %|Dec 21, 2022
Documentary, Soap, Family
poster
This Is Pop
56 %|Mar 6, 2021
Documentary
poster
70 Years of Youth Revolt
73 %|Nov 21, 2020
Documentary, War & Politics
poster
The Frame
100 %|Apr 9, 2013
News, Documentary
poster
Seven Ages of Rock
90 %|May 19, 2007
Documentary
poster
Extras
77.67999999999999 %|Jul 21, 2005
Comedy
poster
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
58 %|Nov 2, 2001
Comedy, Talk
actor
Where Are They Now?
75 %|Jun 7, 1999
Documentary
poster
Parkinson
0 %|Jan 9, 1998
Talk
poster
The Hunger
56 %|Jul 20, 1997
Drama
poster
Die Harald Schmidt Show
70 %|Dec 5, 1995
Reality
poster
Exclusiv - Das Star-Magazin
33 %|Mar 1, 1994
News, Documentary, Talk
poster
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
70.95 %|Sep 13, 1993
Comedy, Talk
actor
Full Stretch
80 %|Jan 5, 1993
Drama, Comedy
actor
ECHO-Verleihung
0 %|May 18, 1992
Reality
poster
Dream On
69 %|Jul 8, 1990
Comedy
poster
Champs-Elysées
62 %|Jan 16, 1982
Talk
poster
Young Music Show
0 %|Dec 12, 1978
Documentary
actor
Unsere kleine Show
0 %|Apr 14, 1969
Reality
actor
4-3-2-1 Hot and Sweet
0 %|Jun 11, 1966
Reality
actor
Discovering Music
80 %|Invalid Date
poster
Twin Peaks
83 %|Apr 8, 1990
Drama, Mystery
poster
Twin Peaks
83 %|Apr 8, 1990
Drama, Mystery
poster
MTV Video Music Awards
76 %|Sep 14, 1984
Documentary
poster
Wetten, dass..?
55 %|Feb 14, 1981
Drama, Reality, Comedy, Talk
poster
Auf los geht's los
0 %|Jan 22, 1977
Reality
poster
Saturday Night Live
70 %|Oct 11, 1975
Comedy, News
poster
Cher
50 %|Feb 16, 1975
actor
Système 2
0 %|Jan 19, 1975
Reality
poster
Les Rendez-vous du dimanche
60 %|Jan 12, 1975
Talk
poster
Musikladen
0 %|Dec 13, 1972
poster
Musikladen
0 %|Dec 13, 1972
poster
The Dick Cavett Show
66 %|Jun 6, 1968
Talk
poster
Ready Steady Go!
0 %|Aug 9, 1963
poster
Personne ne bouge!
70 %|Invalid Date
Documentary