David Bowie, the iconoclastic singer and creator of alien worlds, died at age sixty-nine on January 10, 2016. Bowie died of cancer after living with the disease for eighteen months without public notice. The release of his musical Lazarus and his single “Blackstar,” dubbed his final swan song, served as Bowie’s final works of art.

Bowie, born David Jones in South London, rose to fame as a glam rock shape-shifter, bending conventional gender norms with catchy tunes and brilliant outfits. Discovering his love of music through his brother Terry’s record collection, Bowie began his career as the leader of several bands under the name Davy Jones. After a brief hiatus, he returned as David Bowie in the early 1970s with the song “Space Oddity,”  his album The Man Who Ruled the World, and a new stage persona. By developing multiple stage personas, such as Aladdin Zane and Ziggy Stardust, Bowie constantly reinvented himself with every new album. His eccentric art and personality carried over into acting, most notably in Jim Henson’s Labyrinth. Bowie pursued art and music until his very last days.

He was, most notably, a defiant warrior for social rights, speaking out on racism, sexism, and sexuality. Along with gender-bending outfits and countless “coming-outs,” Bowie also challenged racism most notably in his single “China Girl” and the video for “Let’s Dance.”

Unfortunately, many of the younger generation at Ridge do not know much of his work – yet they understand the importance of his legacy. Emily Arakawa ‘16, believes that “it’s a great idea for this generation to have a music legend that we can idolize [such as Bowie].” As for the older generation, especially all 1980s kids, Bowie was a portal to a new world and new ideology.

Maddie Oliver ‘17, explains a view of the star that is shared by many: “He shaped the definition of ‘normal’, inspired so many, and made queer culture more acceptable.”

An artist of his nature is uncontained; I personally am glad that I live in a world that David Bowie graced. The world mourns the loss of a legend who opened the hearts and minds of suburban kids everywhere.