What Is David Bowie’s Real Legacy? |
This week marks 10 years since the death of the musician, actor, unlikely internet pioneer, and occasional artist David Bowie. That the decade’s anniversary is considered worth marking indicates that Bowie’s standing remains undiminished, with an end that came only two days after the release of his final album, the masterly Blackstar. There have been countless reissues, new biographies (including my own), and documentaries about him. Bowie may be dead, but his spirit lives on, triumphantly.
Even the most committed of Bowie admirers—and I would unhesitatingly put myself in such a category—might wonder whether there is an element of overkill in the continued adulation. He released 26 studio albums, not all of them distinguished, and appeared in films that ranged from classics (The Prestige, The Last Temptation of Christ) to the dreadful. If you’ve been fortunate enough never to see the dire 1970s flick Just a Gigolo, which Bowie once ruefully called “my 32 Elvis Presley movies contained in one,” then your life will be happier for........