David Bowie : Greatest Rock Star Ever

 

   David Robert Jones (8 January 1947 – 10 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie, was an English singer-songwriter and actor. He was a leading figure in the music industry and is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century.

    In the UK, he was awarded ten platinum album certifications, eleven gold and eight silver, and released eleven number-one albums. In the US, he received five platinum and nine gold certifications. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. Rolling Stone placed him among its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and named him the "Greatest Rock Star Ever" following his death in 2016. He remained musically active until his death of liver cancer at his home in New York City, two days after his 69th birthday and the release of his final album, Blackstar (2016). Blackstar won British Album of the Year at the 2017 Brit Awards and five Grammy Awards at the 2017 Grammy Awards. 

   Bowie was born David Robert Jones on 8 January 1947 in Brixton, London. His mother, Margaret Mary "Peggy" (née Burns; 2 October 1913 – 2 April 2001), was born at Shorncliffe Army Camp near Cheriton, Kent. His father, Haywood Stenton "John" Jones (21 November 1912 – 5 August 1969),was from Doncaster, Yorkshire^[8] and worked as a promotions officer for the children's charity Barnardo's. 

   The discography of English singer-songwriter David Bowie (1947–2016) consists of 27 studio albums (including nine UK number-one albums), 21 live albums, 46 compilation albums (including two UK number-one albums), 10 extended plays (EPs), 128 singles (including five UK number-one singles), 4 soundtracks and 12 box sets. Bowie also released 28 video albums and 72 music videos. Bowie's debut release was the 1964 single "Liza Jane" by Davie Jones & the King Bees. He released two more singles in 1965 under the names of The Manish Boys and Davy Jones & the Lower Third. His first release using the name David Bowie was the 1966 single "Can't Help Thinking About Me", which was released with The Lower Third. 

    His sixth studio album, Aladdin Sane (1973) released via RCA Records, marked the singer's first number-one charting record on the UK Albums Chart. Its follow up, Pin Ups, released the same year, also peaked atop the UK chart, earning him a second topper there. Young Americans (1975), his ninth album, peaked at No.2 on the same chart, while the next four studio albums were top-5 successes in the UK. In 1983, the album Let's Dance (15th) hit the UK top as did its successor, Tonight (1984). His 18th album, Black Tie White Noise (1993) managed to rank at No.1 as well and the follow-ups were all top-10 smashes till his 24th album, The Next Day (2013) reached the top spot in the UK and more major charting areas. The finals album in his lifetime, Blackstar (2016) was a No.1 success on every chart it appeared on as it also marked his bet-charting album on the US Billboard 200 chart at No.1. Two of his compilation sets peaked at number-one in the UK as well. On the UK Singles Chart, Bowie collected 6 number-one entries altogether. 

   On 10 January 2016, two days after his 69th birthday and the release of the album Blackstar, Bowie died of liver cancer in his New York City apartment. 

Courtesy : Wikipedia