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2016 has been a year full of ups and downs, one of the lowest being the loss of an amazing performer, singer, songwriter, and actor, David Bowie.

 

One hot June evening in 2004, Bowie was performing the song “Reality” in Prague, almost done the tour. He suddenly stopped, unable to sing, and was taken to hospital where they gave him painkillers and told him that it was just a pinched nerve and that he’d be fine. The band continued on, and two days later, David flawlessly performed  the last live version he will ever perform of “Ziggy Stardust”, before he exited off the stage followed by a collapse. Doctors realized that he did not have a pinched nerve, but instead had a blocked artery.

 

The following years after his surgery, David Bowie grew very reserved. He stopped touring, performing, and fell out of the public eye. This did not, mean he was not creating pieces. These were in fact, some of his best years productively. In 2014, he began work on the extraordinary album Blackstar while simultaneously juggling a revamp of the musical Lazarus, all while maintaining a secret- he had liver cancer.

 

Blackstar was released on January 8, 2016. 2 days later, its creator died.

 

People close to Bowie couldn’t believe that he was actually gone. At every recording session, through his interactions, he was alive, animated, and seemed eternally healthy and youthful.

 

Bowie’s producer and longtime friend Visconti said, "He was optimistic because he was doing the chemo and it was working, and at one point in the middle of last year, he was in remission. I was thrilled. And he was a bit apprehensive. He said, 'Well, don't celebrate too quickly. For now, I'm in remission, and we'll see how it goes.' And he continued the chemotherapy. So I thought he was going to make it."

 

David Bowie was a legend, a real artist who loved his music, his fans and the whole industry. He was known as the original musical chameleon for his ever changing style, musical and otherwise. Bowie was born David Robert Jones in Brixton, South London, England, on January 8, 1947. The young driven musically talented child would later transform into a worldwide superstar.

 

He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. Throughout his career he sold around 140 million records worldwide. In his homeland, Bowie received 9 platinum, 11 gold and 8 silver albums, and in the United States, 5 platinum and 7 gold. Five of Bowie's studio albums appear on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. In 2016, Rolling Stone proclaimed Bowie "the greatest rock star ever".

 

David Bowie started his career as a professional musician in 1963 and from there influenced millions. His incredible performances brought a whole new dimension to the music scene of the 1970’s. Bowie's record company promoted him with the slogan, "There's old wave, there's new wave, and there's David Bowie".

He really was one of a kind. His family and the world will mourn the loss of the esteemed musician and legend, David Bowie for the rest of time.