We pay tribute to David Bowie's life and career with Los Angeles Times critic-at-large Sasha Frere-Jones, Devo frontman Mark Mothersbaugh, poet Tracy K. Smith, singer/actress Lea DeLaria, and New York Times theater critic Ben Brantley.
David Bowie, rock icon, passes away at age 69
Was there ever a more tireless icon than David Bowie?
The superstar passed away on Jan. 10, just two days after the release of his latest studio album, "Blackstar." He was 69 years old.
Bowie's family reported that he had battled liver cancer for the past 18 months. The diagnosis was a secret, so news of the artist's death shocked fans. But throughout his last months, Bowie was as industrious and committed to his art as ever. It seems that right after the release of his 24th studio album, "The Next Day," in January 2013, he immediately got back to work writing "Blackstar." The album was recorded over a three-month burst in early 2015.
Not only that, David Bowie used much of the music in "Blackstar" for the off-Broadway musical, "Lazarus," produced by New York Theatre Workshop and starring Michael C. Hall. And he filmed two surreal music videos for tracks from "Blackstar" — the title track and "Lazarus," which now seems a very intentional swan song from a man who knew he was dying.
From the 1969 release of "Space Oddity" — released to coincide with the Apollo 11 moon landing — to his transsexual art rock of the 1970s and '80s, to his appearances in cult films like "The Man Who Fell To Earth" and "Labyrinth," Bowie moulded the culture of each decade he's worked in. That held true until the very end.
The Frame invited some key voices to weigh in on David Bowie's career and influence. Listen to highlights below:
SASHA FRERE-JONES
MARK MOTHERSBAUGH
LEA DeLARIA
BEN BRANTLEY
The best David Bowie covers by Warpaint, TV On The Radio, Seu Jorge and more
David Bowie died Jan. 10 at age 69 after an 18-month battle with cancer. Judging from the outpouring on social media, it's clear his influence reached all the way to outer space.
The discography from his 50-plus years in the music industry is full of iconic songs that have inspired countless artists after him. As part of our tribute show to Bowie, we thought it'd be fun to highlight our favorite covers.
In order of appearance, here are all the Bowie covers we used for today's tribute:
Warpaint - Ashes to Ashes
Seu Jorge - Ziggy Stardust
TV On The Radio & Karen O
Beck - Sound and Vision
Lea DeLaria - Modern Love
BONUS:
David Bowie covered "America" by Simon & Garfunkel