Every adult in the 1970's was a sexual predator. Honestly, a simple thread of sympathy for a musical icon, and petty squabbles added to unfounded personal smears. I'm not helping, I realise, but seriously people, have a quiet word.
You see this is why I'm not a big fan of RIP threads for celebrities for this very reason. By all means discuss their life, achievements but not everyone feels an overwhelming sense of sadness with every celebrity passing. Why is it a problem to discuss the different aspects of their life? Not only a musical icon, but a public icon, one who courted the front page. He was a voracious sexual being by all accounts, it was a big part of his character and the intrigue that surrounded him. I don't see it as some soppy thread of sympathy. A public icon has passed, his musical contributions are being discussed and recognised. Balancing that with his other "contributions" are not really an issue to me. In 20 years time when people are assessing his life they will look at every aspect from his political views to his music to the controversies in his life. Yet because it has just happened these should not be discussed? It's not like discussing it with his relatives or people who actually knew him. That of course would be insensitive.
I don't for one second think there's only going to be nice comments made about me when I die, which is fair, so I fully agree with Mitro. Personally, not a fan of his music, and to be fair he was the sort of person who looked so ill in his videos in his "prime" I assumed he was already dead, but he's regarded as a great by many and I'm sure will carry on as one. I await the inevitable ITunes compilations every year.
Sinatra was 82 and had had health issues for years. I don't see Bowie quite on the same level as Lennon or Presley personally, and they were genuine shocks as they were still relatively young. I acknowledge many would say Bowie was on the same level, though, which is fair enough.
I get that his music isn't to everyones taste. For me though, i grew up in the 80's so cane remember hearing Let's Dance, Absolute Beginners, Modern Love and Ashes to Ashes for the first time. It was only later that i heard the rest. I love his music
A musical icon for me, I was hooked from the early seventies thanks to my sisters. My first album was Changesonebowie on cassette, and saw him for the first time around then (76/77ish). Even though I was to get heavily into Punk, Bowie was always there over the years and I went to the Roker Park gig where he oddly came on stage welcoming the crowd to 'Newcastle'. I wont say I liked all his stuff as I didn't, but I thought the 2013 Album, The Next Day was his best for donkeys years, and would have bought the new album. The Man may have Died, but his Music will Live On....
Ziggy Stardust was one of the first albums I bought and loved it then. Felt he went off a bit after that. A few good tracks interspersed with some not so good ones. Tried to listen to it recently and it sounds very dated now.
I am sad that Bowie has gone so suddenly, yes he is an Icon but never to my musical taste, Lemmy's death was for me much more of an impact in a lot of ways because of my long association with the music, RIP to the both of them, individuals with their own artistic view that they retained despite the ups and downs they faced in their careers.
For me an absolute icon of modern culture. True trailblazers that contribute so much to the world around us come along very rarely. He was one.