The world was shocked on Sunday when it was reported that legendary singer, songwriter, actor, performer and artist David Bowie died of cancer at the age of 69. Bowie has just released an album two days earlier and the tragedy was definitely a surprise and very unexpected. I thought I would take this opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the massive amount of impact and influence Bowie has had on the music scene.

David Bowie (1947-2016) emerged in the glam rock scene of the 1970’s as a very distinct and unique voice in pop and rock music. A distinct and unique voice that he would somehow continue to be reinvented with each subsequent album. Bowie would change his style, appearance, even his name in between each album, making him a constantly evolving voice and keeping each album fresh and unique. Classic and iconic albums such as The Man Who Sold The World, Hunky Dory, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars, Diamond Dogs, and Low are typically the kind of album an artist is only to create once in their career. Bowie however had the energy and creativity to stay fresh for album after album, song after song.

His influence can be heard in so much of today’s music, whether it be glam rock, art rock, punk, new wave, pop music (as well as the idea of a pop star), and even ambient and electronic music which Bowie indulged in on the second half of the album Low, a stark contrast to it’s punk inspired first half. We owe a lot of our music to Bowie, the world has lost a truly great artist. I strongly recommend checking out some of his music if you haven’t already. We may have lost the man but the legend lives on. Let’s keep that legend alive.