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David Bowie

David Bowie Quotes

Musician

David Bowie (January 8, 1947 – January 10, 2016) was a legendary British musician, singer, songwriter, and actor. Known as the 'chameleon of rock,' he was celebrated for his eclectic musical style, avant-garde stage personas, and constant reinvention. His career spanned decades, blending rock, pop, electronic, and soul. Iconic works include 'Space Oddity,' 'Heroes,' and 'Let's Dance.' Through characters like Ziggy Stardust, he challenged gender and identity norms, leaving a profound impact on popular culture.

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All Thinking People Ifs Writing Kind Artist Rocks Wanted Feels I Can Knows Mean Song Want Way Years Superhuman World Art Looks

Famous David Bowie Quotes

“I wanted to use art. I wanted to use art in a different way in my life. I wanted a sense that... All the nooks and crannies that we don't understand about the way that we life through our day to day life, and I wanted that shown to me, you know? Not in great clarity, but some kind of physical manifestation of these are the areas of life that are causing you grief, or euphoria, and you don't really know why.”

Life Art Artist Music Musician David Bowie

Author:David Bowie

“I never got… I never became who I should have been. I’ve spent an awful lot of my life actually looking for myself, you know? And understanding what it was that i-why-what I existed for.”

Life Artist Music Musician David Bowie

Author:David Bowie

“I’ve done and do everything I’ve always wanted to do, you know? That’s been… It really is extraordinary. I’ve an incredible life. It’s been amazing. I would love to do it again.”

Life Life Lessons Artist Life Quotes Musician David Bowie

Author:David Bowie

“I was determined, ever since I was 16, that I would have the greatest adventure that any one person could ever have.”

Life Artist Life Quotes Musician Artists Quotes David Bowie

Author:David Bowie

“I'm rather kind of old school, thinking that when an artist does his work it's no longer his.”

Thinking Kind Doe School Artist Working It Old School

Book:David Bowie: The Last Interview

Source: David Bowie: The Last Interview

“It makes me sad when I see artists who come alive when they go onstage, because, gee, I really come alive when I'm home.”

Home Artist Alive

Author:David Bowie

“When you are an artist you can turn your hand to anything, in any style. Once you have the tools then all the artforms are the same in the end.”

Ends Hands Artist Turns Style Tools

Author:David Bowie

“It always felt like you were trying too hard to look like the audience or something. That whole thing about the artistic integrity, which, of course, I've never bought into - with any artist. It's just not a real thing.”

Trying Looks Real Hard Whole Artist Courses Felt Audience Like You Integrity Artistic Real Things Trying Too Hard Artistic Integrity

Author:David Bowie

“I didn't say that wearing a glamorization of the rock artist was any truer from the other thing.”

Author:David Bowie

“And it's always the same kind of artist, I think, who has more enjoyment being slightly on the outside of things, who doesn't want to be sucked into the tyranny of the mainstream. Because once you get sucked into that, you're dead as an artist.”

Thinking Want Kind Artist Tyranny Enjoyment Mainstream

Author:David Bowie

“There's just some dysfunctionalism with artists. There are good things and bad things about being an artist, and the good thing is, sometimes you get an inside line on what's really happening. You develop these strange antennae that clue you in to what's really going on.”

Sometimes Artist Lines Strange Happenings Good Things Bad Things Clue Being An Artist

Author:David Bowie

“There seem to be a lot of black artists making very good videos that I'm surprised aren't being used on MTV.”

Seems Used Artist Black Very Good Video Mtv

Author:David Bowie

“On "Tonight" I think I was torn dreadfully between writing what I wanted to write, but keeping it in a style that would follow up what I had just done. That's where I feel I was untrue to myself as an artist . . . that album and, to a lesser extent, "Never Let Me Down."”

Thinking Feels Writing Done Wanted Artist Style Let Me Albums Tonight Torn Untrue Follow Up Let Me Down

Author:David Bowie

“I have absolutely no interest in rock and roll. I'm just being David Bowie. Mick Jagger is rock and roll. I mean, I go out and my music is roughly the format of rock and roll, I use the chord changes of rock and roll, but I don't feel I'm a rock and roll artist. I'd be a terrible rock artist, absolutely ghastly.”

Mean Artist Interest Terrible Music Is Jagger

Author:David Bowie

“I'm not sure that an art career would have any benefit for me; I'm not sure it's what I want. I don't think I want to be a designer-rock artist.”

Thinking Art Artist Not Sure

Author:David Bowie

“I don't have stylistic loyalty. That's why people perceive me changing all the time. But there is a real continuity in my subject matter. As an artist of artifice, I do believe I have more integrity than any one of my contemporaries.”

People Believe Real Matter Artist Subjects Integrity Loyalty Perceive Continuity Subject Matter Artifice

Author:David Bowie

“I suppose for me as an artist it wasn't always just about expressing my work; I really wanted, more than anything else, to contribute in some way to the culture that I was living in. It just seemed like a challenge to move it a little bit towards the way I thought it might be interesting to go.”

Way Littles Might Wanted Moving Artist Culture Bits Challenges Interesting Little Bit

Author:David Bowie

“I think it all comes back to being very selfish as an artist. I mean, I really do just write and record what interests me and I do approach the stage shows in much the same way.”

Thinking Way Writing Mean Shows Artist Interest Records Stage Approach Selfish Selfishness

Author:David Bowie

“Every time I've made a radical change it's helped me feel buoyant as an artist”

Feels Made Artist Radical Radical Change

Author:David Bowie

About the Author

Born: January 8, 1947
Died: January 10, 2016
Known for: Musician
Quotes: 412

Related Topics

Thinking People Ifs Writing Kind Artist Rocks Wanted Feels I Can Knows Mean Song Want Way Years Superhuman World Art Looks

Popular Topics

People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

Books & Sources

David Bowie: The Last InterviewRelated source material

David Bowie: The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars - Off the RecordRelated source material

David Bowie: The Last Interview: and Other ConversationsRelated source material

The pocket book of David BowieRelated source material

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