David Bowie — Final Years, Latest Releases, Death, and Tributes David Bowie, stage name David Robert Jones (London, January 8, 1947 – New York, January 10, 2016), was a British singer, songwriter, actor, and record producer. Sometimes referred to as the "rock chameleon" for his ability to constantly renew his image, he was a major figure in popular music for five decades. Considered one of the most innovative and still influential popular musicians of all time, particularly for his work in the 1970s and 1980s, he is also distinguished by his distinctive vocals and the intellectual depth of his work. On January 8, 2013 (his sixty-sixth birthday), Bowie's official website announced a new studio album—his first in a decade—titled The Next Day, scheduled for release in March. The announcement was accompanied by the immediate release of the single "Where Are We Now?". A music video for the single was released on Vimeo the same day, directed by New York-based multimedia artist Tony Oursler. The single topped the UK iTunes chart within hours and debuted on the UK Singles Chart at number six, his first Top 10 single in two decades (since "Jump They Say" in 1993). A second single and video, "The Stars (Are Out Tonight)," were released on February 25. Directed by Floria Sigismondi, it stars Bowie and Tilda Swinton as a couple. Floria Sigismondi (born 1965) is an Italian-Canadian film director, screenwriter, music video director, artist, and photographer. She is best known for writing and directing The Runaways, music videos for artists such as Dua Lipa, Sam Smith, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, Marilyn Manson, Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, Rihanna, Leonard Cohen, Katy Perry, Björk, The White Stripes, and David Bowie, and commercials for brands such as Gucci, MAC, Target, and Nike. Sigismondi has also directed television, including two episodes of The Handmaid's Tale and American Gods. Katherine Matilda Swinton (born November 5, 1960) is a British actress. She is known for playing eccentric and enigmatic characters, often working with authors. Her awards include an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards, and a Volpi Cup, as well as nominations for five Screen Actors Guild Awards and four Golden Globe Awards. In 2020, The New York Times named her one of the top actresses of the 21st century. The Volpi Cup for Best Actress is an award presented by the Venice Film Festival. It is presented by the festival jury in honor of an actress who has delivered an exceptional performance in a competition film. It is named after Count Giuseppe Volpi di Misurata, the festival's founder. Recorded in secret between May 2011 and October 2012, 29 songs were recorded during the album sessions, of which 22 were officially released in 2013, including fourteen on the standard album. Three bonus tracks were later included along with seven outtakes and remixes on The Next Day Extra, released in November. On March 1, the album was made available for free streaming on iTunes. Debuting at number one on the UK Albums Chart, The Next Day was his first album to top the chart since Black Tie White Noise, and was the best-selling album of 2013. The music video for "The Next Day" generated some controversy due to its Christian themes and message, and was even removed from YouTube for violating the platform's terms of service. The video only returned after restricting access to the video to those over 18. According to The Times, Bowie ruled out giving further interviews. Later in 2013, he was featured in a cameo appearance on Arcade Fire's song "Reflektor." The success of The Next Day made Bowie the oldest Brit Award winner when he won the British Male Solo Artist award at the 2014 Brit Awards, which was accepted on his behalf by Kate Moss. Katherine Ann Moss (born January 16, 1974) is a British supermodel and businesswoman. She appeared on the cover of Vogue more than 30 times over her 25-year career. Moss rose to fame in the 1990s as part of the fashion trend known as Heroin chic, a style popularized in early 1990s fashion and characterized by pale skin, dark circles, emaciated features, androgyny, and thin hair—all traits associated with heroin or other drug abuse. American supermodel Gia Carangi is credited with initiating the trend. Heroin chic was partly a reaction against the healthy, vibrant look of top 1980s models such as Cindy Crawford, Elle Macpherson, and Claudia Schiffer. Later, an exhibition called "David Bowie Is" was shown at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Throughout 2013 and 2014, the exhibition was shown in Toronto, Chicago, Paris, Melbourne, Groningen (Netherlands), São Paulo, and other cities. In a BBC History Magazine poll in October 2013, Bowie was voted the best-dressed Briton in history. In mid-2014, Bowie was diagnosed with liver cancer, which he kept secret. A new compilation album, Nothing Has Changed, was released in November. The album featured rare tracks and early material from his catalog, as well as a new song, "Sue (Or in a Season of Crime)." Bowie continued working throughout 2015, secretly recording his latest album, Blackstar, in New York City between January and May. In August, it was announced that he was writing music for a Broadway musical based on the animated series SpongeBob SquarePants; the final production included a reworked version of "No Control" from Outside. September saw the release of the box set Five Years (1969–1973), the first in a series of retrospective releases compiling his albums from 1969 to 1973, and a look at his "transition from folk artist to glam-rock legend." He also wrote and recorded the opening title song for the television series The Last Panthers, which aired in November. On December 7, Bowie's musical Lazarus premiered in New York; he made his final public appearance on the opening night. Blackstar was released on January 8, 2016, on Bowie's sixty-ninth birthday, and received immediate critical acclaim. Blackstar debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart; nine of his albums charted in the UK Top 100 Albums chart, and thirteen singles charted in the UK Top 100 Singles chart. Blackstar also debuted at number one on album charts around the world, including Australia, France, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, and the US Billboard 200. After David's death on January 10, producer Tony Visconti revealed that Bowie planned the album to be his swan song and a "parting gift" to his fans before his passing. Journalists and critics later noted that death is a looming theme in several of the lyrics. CNN noted that Blackstar "reveals a man with open arms grappling with his own mortality." Visconti later stated that Bowie planned a post-Blackstar album. Bowie wrote and recorded demos of five new songs in his final weeks, suggesting he thought he had a few months left to live. The week of his death, sales and views of music videos and songs soared. On Vevo, Bowie became the most-viewed artist in a single day. David Bowie's Death and Tributes On the evening of January 10, 2016, two days after his sixty-ninth birthday and the release of his album Blackstar, Bowie died in his New York apartment from liver cancer. The musician had been diagnosed with the disease eighteen months earlier but chose not to announce his condition to the public. Belgian theater director Ivo van Hove, with whom he worked on the Off-Broadway musical Lazarus, said Bowie avoided attending rehearsals as his illness progressed. Hove noted that David was working constantly during his diagnosis. Memorials to Bowie were created around the world in the hours following his death. In Brixton, the area of ​​London where Bowie was born, a mural painted in 2013 by Australian artist Jimmy C became a shrine where fans left flowers, records, and handwritten messages. The mural depicts Bowie as he appeared on the cover of his iconic album Aladdin Sane. In Berlin, fans left flowers outside the apartment where Bowie and Iggy Pop lived while Bowie created his seminal "Berlin Trilogy." Mick Jagger said: "David has always been an inspiration to me and a true original. He was wonderfully unabashed in his work. We had so many good times together... He was my friend. I will never forget him." Friend and collaborator Iggy Pop described him on social media as "the light of my life." Singer-songwriter Madonna tweeted: "Talented. Unique. Genius. Transformative" and sang "Rebel, Rebel" at her Houston concert. Elton John commented that "we all know how inspiring he is. We all know his music stands out. We don't need to say anything about the music: it speaks for itself." He was innovative, he was pushing boundaries, and he danced to his own tune—which is truly rare in any artist.” Elton John also performed a cover of “Space Oddity” at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles two days after Bowie’s death. Peter Gabriel wrote, in part: “He was a unique case, a brilliant outlier, always exploring, challenging, and inspiring anyone who wanted to push the boundaries of music, art, fashion, and society.” Kate Bush, known for rarely making public statements, told The Guardian in an interview: “David Bowie had it all. He was intelligent, imaginative, courageous, charismatic, cool, sexy, and truly inspiring, both visually and musically. He created incredibly brilliant work, yes, but so much of it, and it was so good. There are great people who do great work, but who else has left a mark like his? No one like him.” Dave Gahan of Depeche Mode said: “I had seen the news, but it wasn’t until my wife told me he had died that I started crying. My daughter came out and they were both hugging me. It really hit me. I felt a huge void. One of the things I regret most is never having walked up to him at any point when I saw him in passing and said, 'You know, David, I see you every now and then, but I never told you how much your music meant and continues to mean to me.'" The Who honored Bowie during their March 3, 2016, show at New York City's Madison Square Garden with images of Bowie and noting, "We will miss our friend, a true icon of music and art, and a brilliant innovator." Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins told Vulture, "When a true star goes out, the sky looks different and is never the same again." Ozzy Osbourne referred to him as "one of the greats." Michael Stipe of R.E.M. wrote, "Right now, it feels like the solar system is off its axis, as if one of our main planetary anchors has lost its orbit. That said, I'm sure that wherever Bowie is now, I want to be there someday." Debbie Harry said: "Who doesn't love Bowie?" A visionary artist, musician, actor, a complete Renaissance man who gave us a long list of songs like 'Heroes,' 'Rebel Rebel,' 'Young Americans,' 'Diamond Dogs,' 'The Jean Genie,' and some memorable performances in films like The Man Who Fell to Earth, Basquiat, Labyrinth, and The Hunger. I can't say enough about David Bowie to express how much I love him." Paul McCartney, for his part, shared a photo of him and Bowie together on Instagram and commented that "David was a huge star and I cherish the moments we had together. His music played a huge role in British musical history, and I'm proud to think of the enormous influence he had on people around the world." Bruce Springsteen commented: "Here on E Street, we are feeling the great loss of David Bowie. David was a visionary artist and an early supporter of our music. Always changing and ahead of the curve, he was an artist whose excellence you aspired to. He will be greatly missed." Bowie recorded covers of Springsteen's songs "Growin' Up" and "It's Hard to Be a Saint in the City" early in Springsteen's career. On January 16, at the opening night of The River Tour 2016 in Pittsburgh, Springsteen & the E Street Band opened their encore with a cover of "Rebel Rebel." Yoko Ono highlighted Bowie's friendship with her and John Lennon, and thanked him for being a "father figure" to her son Sean after Lennon's death. Former British Prime Minister (in office from 2010 to 2016) David Cameron paid tribute to Bowie, calling him "an immense British talent" and stating that "musically, creatively, artistically, David Bowie was a genius." The German Foreign Ministry tweeted, "Farewell, David Bowie. You are now among the #Heroes. Thank you for helping to bring down the #Wall," referring to Bowie's time in Berlin in the 1970s, as well as his 1987 concert near the Berlin Wall. Given the astronomical theme of several of his works, tributes came from several astronauts. NASA tweeted, "The stars look very different today," on its Twitter account, directly quoting "Space Oddity." The video game Omikron: The Nomad Soul, in which Bowie voiced characters, composed the soundtrack, and contributed to the storyline, was offered as a free download for a week after Bowie's death. Bowie played FBI agent Phillip Jeffries in the Twin Peaks prequel film, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me. He was approached about reprising the role with a guest appearance in the 2017 revival series, but had to decline the offer. Bowie's lawyer informed Lynch that he was unavailable, without specifying the reason. However, Bowie gave the production permission before his death to reuse old footage of him on the condition that he be dubbed by an authentic Louisiana actor due to his dissatisfaction with the accent he used in "Fire Walk with Me." "Part 14" of the revival series was dedicated to Bowie's memory. Bowie was included in the "In Memoriam" tribute at the 88th Academy Awards, presented by Dave Grohl. Before Bowie's death, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige had spoken with director James Gunn about having Bowie make a cameo appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, having already performed "Moonage Daydream" in Guardians of the Galaxy. Gunn was enthusiastic about the idea, despite knowing from mutual friends that Bowie was unwell. Bowie told them he would recover and was interested in Gunn's idea of ​​appearing as a member of the original crew. The finished film, released in 2017, featured "Suffragette City" in one of its TV spots. Lin-Manuel Miranda was writing songs for the Disney film Moana after Bowie's death and said, "The world was already mourning Bowie, I was listening to Bowie nonstop," and as a result, wrote the song "Shiny" partly as a tribute to him. In the season 15 finale of American Idol, the winners performed some of Bowie's most famous songs on stage. Blade Runner 2049 director Denis Villeneuve originally had Bowie in mind for the role of Niander Wallace, as Bowie was one of the influences on the original Blade Runner film. After Bowie's death, Villeneuve sought another actor with a similar rockstar vibe, resulting in Jared Leto being cast after he wrapped filming on the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) film Suicide Squad. Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor, who toured with Bowie on The Outside Tour during its North American leg and later appeared in the music video for "I'm Afraid of Americans," produced "I Can't Give Everything Away (Farewell Mix)," a remix of the final song from Blackstar, and performed it live on July 20, 2017. The 2023 season of Fresh TV's animated series Total Drama featured a gay contestant named Bowie, who was nominated at the suggestion of head writer Terry McGurrin. He admired Bowie for being a fluid and androgynous rock icon who normalized bisexuality, makeup, and feminine clothing without regard for anyone's opinion. But one of the most interesting tributes came from Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, then president of the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Culture, who paid tribute to the artist on Twitter. The cardinal, known for his interest in pop culture, posted verses from Bowie's iconic song, "Space Oddity": "Ground Control to Major Tom Commencing countdown, engines on Check ignition and may God's love be with you." In later articles, Ravasi detailed his appreciation for the artist's work, highlighting its "implicit and secret spirituality" and how it managed to "stir the souls of all those with a restless conscience." In a secular way, the cardinal noted that Bowie frequently grappled with questions about life, death, and God, and that his creative journey was marked by profound questions about the divine. Ravasi saw Bowie's spirituality as an integral part of his art, even if his expressions were "non-religious." Alex