Half a century on from his creation, Ziggy Stardust arguably remains the most beloved character from David Bowie’s illustrious sevendecade career. Combining glamour and a thenoutrageous sexuality, this bisexual alien rock star fell to earth as the 60s dream had turned sour in the wake of Altamont, and the economic boom of the previous decade had finally burst.
The music scene was becoming as grim as the outside world. Clive Dunn’s mawkish single, Grandad topped the charts at the start of 1971 while Benny Hill’s Ernie (The Fastest Milkman In The West) brought it to a close. By 1972, the likes of Donny Osmond and David Cassidy hit the top spot as compilation albums dominated their respective charts.
Yet from this morass of tedium came a glimmer of hope. First T. Rex brought the glitter to the pop kids while Slade stomped their stack heels hard. And then, as if from nowhere, former onehit wonder David Bowie introduced Ziggy Stardust to sweep aside all competition to leave a legacy that’s still felt to this very day.
Having failed to successfully crack America in January 1971, David Bowie returned to the UK. Encouraged by his wife, Angie, and manager, Tony Defries, Bowie developed the idea of the “ultimate pop idol” by combining his underground heroes Lou Reed and Iggy Pop with cult British rock’n’roller Vince Taylor…
David Bowie: I wanted to define the archetype messiah rock star; that’s all I wanted to do. And I used the trappings of kabuki theatre, mime technique, fringe New York music –my reference was The Velvet Underground. It was a British view of American street energy.
Angie was a very flash-talking, buzzing American girl. She got him on what he wanted to do before anybody else. So when David had a few doubts in the beginning or when he
