Many deaths hit us hard this year, but the passing of David Bowie knocked me for six.
Barely two weeks into 2016 news broke that the music legend had died after an 18-month battle with liver cancer, which in hindsight, should of been an indicator on how awful a year it would turn out to be.
My first exposure to Bowie was as a kid trawling through my my Dad’s vinyl collection and coming across The Best Of Bowie.
I vividly remember looking into those distinctive eyes of his on the cover and becoming transfixed, he simply fascinated me.
And that intrigue only grew as I started listening to his music. He had a bit of something for anyone who loved music, though that’s not to say he pandered to the masses.
In a world that’s lacking originality, Bowie was a genuine singular entity. He evolved effortlessly through the years and wasn’t only a musical chameleon but also of fashion and identity.
He wasn’t afraid to experiment, he glided into a number of different genres and continuously experimented right up to his death, with his 25th and final studio album Blackstar being no exception.
Blackstar, which was released only two days before his death, was one of the most critically-acclaimed albums of 2016.
It only just lost out on the coveted Mercury Prize to grime artist Skepta and has garnered several GRAMMY nominations including Best Alternative Music Album and Best Rock Performance.
But he didn’t only evolve through genres, he was the master of personal reinvention. From Ziggy Stardust to the Thin White Duke, from Major Tom to Aladdin Sane to Halloween Jack, he wasn’t afraid to embrace different facets of his being.
During his incredible career spanning five decades he inspired not only one, but two or maybe even three generations of musicians.
But it wasn’t only in music that he flourished, Bowie also acted on both the stage and big screen. He held leading roles in several feature films, including The Man Who Fell to Earth and Labyrinth.
The world may never recover from the loss of such a huge talent; who helped to shape the face of music and catapult it forward.
We may never be the same again, but it’s great to think that his talent transcends the realms of death and into the present, so that we can continue to celebrate his life and what he did for the creative industry.
Not just the musical world, but the whole world will be a much darker place with him.
