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David Bowie Dies At Age 69 (bbc.co.uk)

Posted by Soulskill on from the rest-in-peace dept.

echo-e writes: Renowned singer David Bowie has died after an 18-month battle with cancer. His latest album, Blackstar, was only just released on Friday — his birthday. His last live show was in 2006. Bowie rose to fame in the 1970s, and he is known for hits such as Under Pressure, Let's Dance, and Space Oddity. He also appeared in handful of films, such as Labyrinth in 1986. Bowie was also notable for being one of the few musicians to immediately see the value and staying power of MP3s and the digital distribution of music. If anything, he was overly optimistic about it. In 2002, he said, "I don't even know why I would want to be on a label in a few years, because I don't think it's going to work by labels and by distribution systems in the same way. The absolute transformation of everything that we ever thought about music will take place within 10 years, and nothing is going to be able to stop it. I see absolutely no point in pretending that it's not going to happen. I'm fully confident that copyright, for instance, will no longer exist in 10 years, and authorship and intellectual property is in for such a bashing."

11 of 296 comments (clear)

  1. Awful... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I'll miss him and his excellent music.

  2. Tribute by The+Evil+Atheist · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Send his ashes to Mars.

    --
    Those who do not learn from commit history are doomed to regress it.
    1. Re:Tribute by seven+of+five · · Score: 5, Funny

      Don't know about that... they'll probably just fall to Earth...

  3. True artist by Aethedor · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Whether you like his music or not, there is no denying that David Bowie was a true artist, a real entertainer. There was nothing fake about him. Nowadays, we don't see real artists like him very often.

    --
    It doesn't have to be like this. All we need to do is make sure we keep talking.
    1. Re:True artist by rgbatduke · · Score: 5, Insightful

      And he would have made a great Elrond...

      --
      Even when the experts all agree, they may well be mistaken. --- Bertrand Russell.
    2. Re:True artist by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Whether you like his music or not, there is no denying that David Bowie was a true artist, a real entertainer. There was nothing fake about him. Nowadays, we don't see real artists like him very often.

      I suspect that you're seeing history through rose-tinted glasses. There were plenty of pop-acts in every era that Bowie overlapped with, we simply don't remember many of them.

      Which is why we remember Bowie.

      I wonder if anyone 30 years from now will remember Beyonce. We are officially in a worse period of music than disco.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    3. Re:True artist by TWX · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Could be. Linda Ronstadt was hugely popular in the late seventies but is virtually forgotten today. The Manhattan Transfer won multiple Grammys and used to sell-out auditoriums like rock groups but is down to 2,000 seat auditoriums.

      Bowie had staying power because he continually reinvented himself and managed to keep up with what the public wanted in addition to giving them something new to consider. He was willing to vary his look- Bowie in the Ziggy Stardust era versus The Man Who Fell To Earth era vs Labyrinth are basically completely different acts.

      --
      Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
  4. Watch the new videos by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    He just released an album, its good, but bleak.
    He must have recorded knowing his death was imminent. You'd think why he didn't say he had cancer, but if you watch the videos he did say.

    Blackstar, is full of lonely candles and a Dead Major Tom.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kszLwBaC4Sw

    Love is lost,
    http://prostheticknowledge.tumblr.com/post/137078250186/prostheticknowledge-love-is-lost-hello-steve

    But for me, the best track he's never remembered for is "Andy Warhol"
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4sANPkk3ys

    Goodbye David.

  5. RIP Thin White Duke by markpg · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Just spent the weekend listening to the new album and trying to figure out the meaning behind the Blackstar video. It suddenly all makes sense.

    He will be missed, but it's nice to know he left at the top of his game.

    --
    ..now where did that .sig go??
  6. Coolness on fleek by PopeRatzo · · Score: 5, Informative

    The dude played fucking Nikola Tesla in the movies. Because of course he did. That's how cool he was.

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.
  7. Re:Who gives a shit by clovis · · Score: 5, Informative

    How is this tech news?

    How is it that you don't know what are the topics at the top of the slashdot web page? It says:
    Topics: Devices Build Entertainment Technology Open Source Science YRO

    This article is about Davis Bowie, so it concerns
    1) entertainment; music
    2) technology; digital distribution of music
    3) YRO; copyright issues