Well, I can imagine that it's safe to say that if you're a fan of pop/rock music, you've woken up and are reacting to the gut-punch of losing David Bowie with shock, anger, sadness, and the whole range of emotions.
Musical legends don't come along every day, and I would say that Bowie's career rivals him to be in the same ballpark as The Beatles and Stones when discussing his career and influence.
Not bad for a guy who had to change his name from Davy Jones so as to not be confused with the lead singer of The Monkees!
My first memory of the music of David Bowie was an appearance on Saturday Night Live in 1979 where he performed "Boys Keep Swinging" with a puppet body.
It creeped me out! I just re-watched the video, and it's still a little bizarre, and the child inside of me trembled just a little bit.
:)
Fast forward to the 80s, and I finally moved the dial on my FM radio to Top 40 music.
Needless to say, when asked for the best decade of music, I am a firm believer in the 80s.
And that's where I met David Bowie again for the first time.
"Let's Dance"
"China Girl"
"Modern Love"
Those 3 songs alone are a great testament to the man's musical legacy, and it would be joined on the radio for me with a past classic "Under Pressure" with Queen.
Needless to say, I was a fan.
As time moved forward, so did Bowie, continually releasing new music and changing his style. Bowie continued releasing music into the next millennium, including the release of his latest album which came out just days before he passed away. All recorded while he battled cancer.
I actually went backward and learned most of Bowie's hits because my wife was a big fan and she introduced me to much of his back catalog. That knowledge served me well because after joining the military, at my first duty section we played classic rock while rigging parachutes all day. Guess who was a staple with his 70s hits? Yep, David Bowie.
Amusingly, many of my favorite 80s bands were influenced by the very same David Bowie who was releasing music right alongside them.
For that, and for all of his music, I will forever be grateful.
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