Book Review: Bowie by Marc Spitz

It's mid-month and I think I'm working on a theme.  A few months ago, after watching Basquiat, Sid & Nancy and The Doors I started wondering about this whole "tortured artist" thing.  Sure, there are a number of musicians, artists and writers that I revere who lived on the edge of darkness; but I started to wonder if that was actually necessary for the creative process. So I started thinking about the people who inspire me the most, and have spent this month learning more about the rise to fame and what makes them who they are.  David Bowie is one example. 

In his book Bowie: A Biography, Marc Spitz chronicles the life of this music icon.  From his humble to childhood through his many personas, he interviewed over 100 people close to David Bowie (though, it should be noted, not Bowie himself).  What I found perhaps most shocking - not the tales of rampant sex and drug use - was the fact that Bowie had a number of flops before becoming famous.  He released record after record that showed no sales until after his fame.  Through this, he kept going.

Like with the Eddie Izzard biography, Bowie's story echoes the "don't give up" mantra.  Sure there was embarrassing rejection and some unsuccessful experiments.  There were periods where the weight of creative passion got the better of him.  But he continues to persevere with this passion, releasing and performing music according to his own standings.

So once again, the message seems to be "stick to your guns, kid" even in the face of adversity.