David Bowie: Mystic, Magician, Shaman, Shape-Shifter. It's
stunning to behold the widespread grief and admiration being expressed across
social media regarding the death of one of popular music's most beloved icons.
David Bowie was a shapeshifter of the highest order, creating unusual and
glamorous personae decades before theatrical costumes became the norm in
popular music. Bowie was making
music videos in 1969, before anyone had a name for the art form. He wrote
entire concept albums based upon the stories of his flamboyant, often troubled,
characters: Ziggy Stardust (whose third eye made him a mystic), Aladdin Sane
(his lightning bolt echoed in Harry Potter's wizard birthmark), The Thin White
Duke, and others. It is impossible to imagine what music would have been
without this man's bold and brilliant vision, his unique talent, his courage.
His influence cannot be exaggerated.
