The first couple of weeks of January are very busy in music history. We start off with the following:
- Led Zeppelin‘s John Paul Jones celebrated his 77th birthday on January 3.
- R.E.M.‘s Michael Stipe celebrated his 63rd birthday on January 4
- Joy Division and New Order founder Bernard Sumner also celebrated his 67th birthday on January 4
- The 70th anniversary of AC/DC co-founder, rhythm guitarist, songwriter and backing vocalist Malcom Young’s birth was on January 6
The legendary David Bowie was born 76 years ago. Now there’s a reason why I spend some time celebrating Bowie’s birthday every day: Besides being a lifelong fan of his work, some of my earliest — and most powerful — musical memories are tied into listening to David Bowie.
I vividly remember being about 4 years old or so. My folks had rented David Bowie’s Serious Moonlight from a local rental place. I was obsessed with it. And at some point, I probably memorized every single thing that happened — including Bowie’s pale blue suit.
Where would I be if my folks didn’t inspire and foster such a frenzied passion and interest in music? I don’t know. I’d probably be very boring. Thanks, Mom. Thanks, Dad. Thank you, David Bowie. And more important, Happy birthday! Happy birthday, wherever you are.
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