David Bowie

David Robert Jones, known as David Bowie, was born in London in 1947. Raised in the city’s southern suburbs, he experimented with bands and performance before “Space Oddity” became his first major hit in 1969.

Ziggy Stardust, introduced in 1972, brought together science fiction, theatrical costumes and an androgynous rock-star image. Bowie’s performance of “Starman” on “Top of the Pops”, with an arm around guitarist Mick Ronson, became a powerful memory for viewers who saw new possibilities in the gesture.

His public accounts of his sexuality changed. He described himself as gay in 1972 and bisexual in 1976, then later distanced himself from those declarations. He married Angela Barnett and, later, Iman. Those changing statements complicate any single label, while the influence of his gender presentation on queer audiences remains clear.

Across albums including “Heroes” and “Let’s Dance”, Bowie kept changing musical direction rather than settling into one persona. “Blackstar” appeared on his birthday in January 2016. He died of cancer two days later, leaving a final work whose reception became inseparable from the news of his death.