I Lost A Hero Today · 10:56am Jan 11th, 2016
To those of you who might not know yet, it has been confirmed that David Bowie has passed away at the age of 69.
http://news.sky.com/story/1620422/david-bowie-dies-after-18-month-cancer-battle
As someone who has listened to this artist since the beginning of my teenage years, hearing this news has been an unbelievably giant blow to me. I mean, I know that there have been other icons whose deaths have hurt recently (Joe Cocker, Lemmy Kilmister, Leonard Nimoy, etc.), but David Bowie was one of those people who almost felt immortal in my mind. Like, the guy could never die.
But in a lot of ways, that state of mind isn't particularly wrong.
David Bowie's songs have been some of the most influential additions to not only rock, but to the direction of music itself for the last 50 years. When I think back to some of the music Bowie has made in his life, I can honestly say that he was as inspiring and innovative as names like John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, and other icons who paved the road for rock in today's culture and society.
And not to mention, David Bowie was also one of the finest musicians to grace the screen in various acting roles. Whether it was for his brilliant portrayal of Thomas Jerome Newton in The Man Who Fell to Earth, his vibrant presence as The Goblin King in Labyrinth, his take on the brilliant mind of Nikola Tesla in The Prestige, or just for his cameo appearances in shows and movies like Zoolander, there's no denial that his contributions to film and television were as much of a wonderful presence as his contributions to music. And given that his son is Duncan Jones, director of the sci-fi marvel Moon, at least we can know that his prodigy can live on the man's legacy in ways we can only imagine.
For me, Bowie's music was quintessential to my youth. I didn't come to terms with my orientation until I was about 16 years old, but before that time, songs like Changes, Under Pressure, and of course, Somebody Up There Likes Me, have really helped to make me feel better about myself when I was in my deepest bouts of confusion and self-denial. I can safely admit that the man was a giant factor to my life, and the fact that he's gone has made me sadder than I could've ever imagined was possible. I never met him personally, or knew much about his life other than his music, but it feels like I got punched in the heart since I know I'll never get that chance to see him.
But then again, maybe I don't need that kind of event to happen for true closure. The fact of the matter is that even if I did get the chance to see David Bowie in person, the pain that I feel would still be just as intense, if not worse than it is now. So for now, I have his songs playing on repeat on my laptop, and I'm not going to stop as I remember him for the person he was and still is: An innovator, a rebel, an icon, a legend, and my personal hero.
I fucking love you, David Bowie. And wherever you are, I hope you're as happy as you made me and countless others. May you Rest in Peace, and may your music live on forever more.
Amen.
This news made me cry. I cried for someone I have never met. He wasn't a philanthropist, or an activist, not in any grandiose fashion, anyway, but he was someone who entertained others. Yet, David Bowie was more than that. He was an icon, a legend in every sense of the word. His music crossed boundaries and mindsets. His look and his lyrics approached your senses from different angles. Like you, there was this part of me that felt he was immortal, that we would always have David Bowie, and now his physical presence is gone. We are a little poorer, I feel, for his passing. The stars look very different today.
No fucking way, this is not how I want to start my morning. :(