Bye Bye Bowie
Tribute to David Bowie
Just because it’s in the past, doesn’t mean it’s gone. I know this now that David Bowie died. The part of me that he sang life into years ago can now rest and reflect.
His sound, his look, his performances, and his songs colored my life in the late 70’s and early 80’s.
Haunted by the painful cry to Major Tom and the lonely Ziggy Stardust lament, I thought David Bowie was indeed a man who fell to earth; a man with something we would never fully understand or tire of, an artist asking us to reach higher and break through the false limits of our imagination.
I was a young American, going through changes forced to face the strangeness within myself, desperately working to accept whatever modern love was. I wanted to be Bowie’s little China girl when he pulled out the deeper vocals. Bowie was a presence, a mood, and a flavor for our personal life-soundtracks that begged us to relish our differences and our similarities, find our bluesy notes and swing them to a funky beat. His passion invited us to be rebels, striking new poses of fashion and expression under the pressure of his androgynous gaze in those golden years of Bowie’s fame.
I never met the man. I never saw David Bowie perform in concert, but he touched my life as he did so many others, spanning generations, cultures, and continents. I am so glad I had an opportunity to sing his songs, dance to his music, and recognize his beauty.
Ashes to ashes. Funk to funky.
Bowie was a hero for more than one day and I admit the news of his passing gave me an all time low. Bye bye Bowie and thank you. I cherish your gift and I will listen carefully to your final album Black Star.
Nourish Your Mind, Body, & Soul with Goodness 