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He fell to Earth as "Ziggy Stardust," slipped into the role of Thin White Duke, filled stadiums with "Major Tom" and topped charts as a "Young American." For more than 40 years, David Bowie has reinvented himself again and again. To mark his 60th birthday, keep clicking to see how an icon of rock 'n roll and innovator of androgynous style evolved. At left, Bowie performs at London's Wembley Arena in 1985.
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Born David Robert Jones on Jan. 8, 1947, Bowie is among the most influential musicians of his time, and one of the richest. He made his debut in 1967 with "David Bowie," and had his commercial breakthrough two years later with "Space Oddity." His mix of sci-fi, theater and rock captivated a public fascinated with the moon landing the same year. Here, Bowie attends a news conference at London's Savoy Hotel in 1983.
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Bowie honed his androgynous image in June 1972 with the seminal concept album "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars," focusing on the career of an extraterrestrial rock singer. At left, he performs during his Glass Spider tour in 1987.
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Throughout his career, Bowie has been known as a chameleon, swiftly adapting to trends in music and in fashion. An early example is his name: The struggling teenage musician Davey Jones became David Bowie when the Monkees' Davy Jones briefly became a star. At left, Bowie performs during the Glass Spider Tour in Sydney, Australia, in 1987.
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Early on, Bowie paid a high price for success, suffering from bouts of depression fueled by increased drug use. In 1976, the album "Heroes" emerged with the help of fellow musician Brian Eno and his long-time manager and friend Tony Visconti. Into the '80's he had hits with "Ashes to Ashes," "Let's Dance," "Modern Love" and "China Girl." Here, he holds a news conference at the Savoy Hotel in London in 1983.
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Bowie's career continued in high gear through the 1980s. Here, Paul McCartney, left, and Bowie mug backstage at the Live Aid concert on July 13, 1985.
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David Bowie and Tina Turner perform on stage at the NEC Birmingham on Jan. 1, 1985.
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"As you get older, I think you find less and less is important, apart from some very fundamental things, one of them being a love of one's fellow man and a care for their survival. And a care for one's immediate family and friends and then wider, like a circle, like ripples in water," he once told an interviewer. On a rare dress-down day, Bowie takes a ferry to the Isle of Wight Festival 2004.
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David Bowie performs on stage at the Isle of Wight Festival 2004 on June 13, 2004.
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David Bowie arrives at the launch of Net Aid in New York on Jan. 1, 2001.
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Bowie and his wife, model Iman, are familiar sights at cultural events, particularly in New York and London. Here, the pair attends Glamour Magazine's "Glamour Women Of The Year Awards 2006" at New York's Carnegie Hall on Oct. 30, 2006.
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David Bowie and Iman appear at the Metropolitan Opera 2006-07 season-opening night at Lincoln Center in New York on Sept. 25, 2006.
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David Bowie and Iman arrive at the New York premiere of "Hannibal" at the Ziegfeld Theatre on Feb. 5, 2001.
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Bowie continues to tour and write new material; his latest album, "Reality," was released in 2003. With a fortune estimated at around $1 billion, Bowie is one of the richest entertainers in the United Kingdom. At left, he poses backstage at the Glastonbury Music Festival in Somerset, England, on June 25, 2000, wearing a coat designed by Alexander McQueen.
