The singer, musician, and actor David Bowie, born David Robert Jones, passed away on January 10, 2016, at age 69, of liver cancer, in his New York City apartment. His beautiful wife, Iman, the supermodel/entrepreneur from Somalia, was at his side when he died--as she had been for 24 years. The stunning couple met on a blind date in 1990, married in '92, and were inseparable. Bowie was only officially married once before but had multiple relationships. He left two children and two grandchildren behind.

Groundbreaking is an overused term, but it applies to Bowie. The singer's androgynous look fascinated audiences. I thought he was prettier than many women I saw. Bowie set the stage for people to be themselves. Acceptance of other lifestyles and cultures opens you up to the world and enhances growth. Indeed, 'no man is an island.' 

Bowie was ahead of his time. He was influenced by artists like John Lennon & the Beatles, the Velvet Underground, and Little Richard. David Bowie played multiple instruments proficiently and wore costumes and makeup as part of his act.

I enjoyed the fact that Bowie expressed himself. He came out as gay with the famous words "I'm gay and have always been, even as David Jones" in 1972. But it appears Bowie was trying to express his individuality and his right to choose fluidity in lifestyles. The musician told Playboy magazine in 1976 that he was bisexual while in his first marriage to Angie Bowie.  Flamboyant and unapologetic, the singer came out with hits like 'The Hunky Dory' song and 'John, I'm Only Dancing.' 

My favorite is the album 'The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.' Younger people who might not know much about Bowie should listen to his masterpiece 'Space Oddity' from 1969 for a taste of what Bowie delivered. And two other timeless Bowie songs are the new wave flavored 'Let's Dance' and the funky 'Fame.' I loved (and still love) David Bowie's music, style, and creativity. 

Last year, the release of "Moonage Daydream" proved the artist still has marketability. Rotten Tomatoes rated the documentary 92 percent from 155 reviews.

Brett Morgan wrote and directed the film about Bowie's life. Footage that is shown had never been seen before. Bowie does the voiceover for the project. In Morgan's words, "Bowie cannot be defined. He can be experienced. That is why we crafted 'Moonage Daydream' to be a unique cinematic experience." The film premiered on IMAX in September of 2022. If you get a chance to see it on the full screen, do so. If not, HBO Max will run it again on April 29. 

David Bowie continues to inspire musicians all over the world, who performed a musical tribute to honor him at the 2016 Brit Awards. Fans will remember him forever.