Let All the Children Boogie

Inspirational song: Starman (David Bowie)

The first thing I heard this morning, other than the soft sounds of stirring cats as the bedroom began to fill with light, was the voice of Mr S-P, saying, "Apparently David Bowie died." I really did not want to believe that. I immediately assumed it was an internet hoax, and I picked up my phone to find proof that it was someone's idea of a joke. It was heart-crushing to discover instead that it was the truth.

David Bowie always lived high on my list of the top rock gods. I loved his music, his acting, his elegance, and his grace. He always seemed so ethereal and stylish, at a level we mere mortals would never match. Every one of his albums was entirely different than the one before, something only a few artists do successfully (I can only think of one other act that does it so well in my opinion). And as often as he reinvented himself, he managed to create art that moved our souls every time. His music was popular not because it was easily digestible like typical pop music, but because it meant something to us all. His acting took us to other worlds. His sense of fashion set the gold standard. He was one of a kind.

I got to see one of his concerts nearly twenty-nine years ago. I had tickets to two very different concerts, one day apart, that July. I went to see the Glass Spiders tour at Mile High Stadium, and it was one of the most elaborately choreographed and produced shows I've ever seen. It was all about dancers and screens and lights and effects. At the time, I wasn't ready for it. The show the next night was Neil Young at Red Rocks, and it was so laid back and low key, compared to the sensory overload of the night before, and I felt like it was a relief. If only I had been old enough to be able to see him during the Fame years, or even better, the Ziggy Stardust days. Now I just count myself lucky to have been there at all.

A couple of years ago, my younger daughter dressed as David Bowie for Halloween. Between that and her sister telling me that The Man Who Sold the World was one of her favorite songs confirmed for me that I did right by them all those years that I insisted they know their music history. I'm just sad now that the Thin White Duke has slipped away to being solely a part of that history.