Megan Lloyd Speech One: David Bowie Introduction Attention Getter: When a star dies, it is with great sadness we remember the impacts they may have had on our lives. However, it is interesting that despite how well we may love an actor or actress, a singer, performer, how very little we may know about said individual. Reveal Topic: Although you more than likely have already heard his name in passing, listened to a few of his songs, or even a huge fan. I would like to introduce you to, or in some cases reintroduce you to, the pop/rock, chameleon singer, David Bowie. Proposition: This singer is well known for his eccentric style and catchy tunes. However, he was far more than just a music icon. He was a social warrior, and a pursuer of art to the highest of personal degrees. Preview: So, for the next few minutes, I would like to lightly delve into the man behind the music, as well as what this eccentric icon, has come to mean to me. Transition: So, what was David Bowie to the masses?
Body I. Bowie was a voice for the outcast, the closet homosexuals, anyone that did not fit into society’s cookie cutter standard quota. A. He was against prejudice of race. 1. In 1983, MTV was not airing black singers during primetime, he had an interview with Mark Goodman. And called out MTV for their prejudice. In retaliation “he wanted to use his stardom — and his race — to mock the network’s priorities. If it wouldn’t play nonwhite artists, he’d stock his videos with nonwhite people.” 13 Jan., 2016 New York Times. 2. Examples can be his hit song, “China Girl”, and his highest selling song “Let’s Dance.” B. His glam rock personas and knack for gender-bending made him an outlet for the gay community. 1. “He was not a campaigner for gay rights, but Mr. Bowie’s art complemented a larger fight for acceptance and civil rights.” Jan., 2016 New York Times. C. His art and personas encouraged people, to not worry about being different. This coming from the sparkly, alien inspired dressed man. Transition: Why the fashion statement? II.
Bowie was known for reinventing himself. A. He was a purveyor of art. Everything from his music videos, his hair, his stage personas, all of it was not in the name of publicity, but art. B.
Music videos 1. He was a creative man, and one of the first people to see the value in using Music videos to convey a movement. 2. “From the start of his career, he understood the possibilities of a fledgling format, the ways in which music and image could conspire to tell a richer, more complicated story” Jan., 2016 New York Times. 3. His music videos were often a strange mixture of color, strange characters, and even crazier costumes and glamor. 4. However, he did it to make a point. Much like what he did with MTV, but an artist approach.
C.
His fashion was also a statement on art. 1. Being known as the Godfather of Glam rock, it is no surprise some of his fashion choices could only be described as other worldly, and he was not against pushing the gender boundaries of the age. 2. The lesson of his wardrobe was this: As soon as they recognize you, switch it up. Jan., 2016 New York Times. 3. Several of his outfits are hardly practical. In fact, on Saturday Night Live in 1979, while performing “The man Who Sold the World” His outfit restricted movement to the point of needing to be carried. (YouTube video in references)
D.
He was known best for his personas. 1. David was known for coming up with personas, and with each persona came a new look and sound. 2. Two of his best known are the spiky haired rocker, Ziggy Stardust, and the Monochromatic Thin White Duke. 3. Each of his personas brought a new sensation to his career. He thoroughly believed in embracing the part while performing. Which is exactly What he did. (Same article as right above) Jan., 2016 New York Times.
Transition: So how does this relate to me? III.
I am only just starting to find myself A. I share a bit of fashion sense with Bowie. Not much, but some. 1. My hair has been every color under the sun 2. And any given day I can be seen wearing bright eyeshadows and baby blue lipstick B.
I’m not entirely musically talented. However, I do have an eye for design. 1. I’m currently studying to become an Interior Designer.
C.
I also believe in reinventing myself. 1. There not always as dramatic as Bowies personas. But they are changes 2. They can be as simple as a haircut, or different color. 3. Sometimes the style of clothing I wear may change for a time. Either way, I strive to become something new. Something bolder, and more confident than the last.
Conclusion
Signal Ending: So, will I ever walk down East Brougton St. in baby blue suit, with white foundation head to toe, a red mullet, and bright blue eyeshadow. Probably not, maybe on the eyeshadow but not the rest. Review: It’s amazing how much one can be shown in the media, yet so little can be known about them otherwise. David Bowie stood for so much in life, reinventing himself with each passing phase. I admire that, and when I finally do get my dream job. I want to do to the Interior Design world what Bowie did to the music and fashion industry. Clincher: And now I ask you, who do you want to be next? References Chinen, Nate. "David Bowie, Master of the Music Video." New York Times. 11 Jan. 2016. Web. 20 Jan. 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/12/arts/music/david-bowie-master-ofthe-music-video.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FBowie%2C %20David&mtrref=undefined Friedman, Vanessa. "David Bowie’s Fashion Legacy." The New York Times, 12 Jan. 2016. Web. 20 Jan. 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/14/fashion/david-bowies-fashionlegacy.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FBowie%2C%20David Morris, Wesley. "How David Bowie Challenged MTV on Race." The New York Times. 13 Jan. 2016. Web. 20 Jan. 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/14/arts/music/how-davidbowie-used-his-stardom-and-race-to-challenge-mtv.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic %2FBowie%2C%20David
Rogers, Katie. "Was He Gay, Bisexual or Bowie? Yes." The New York Times. 13 Jan. 2016. Web. 20 Jan. 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/14/style/was-he-gay-bisexual-or-bowieyes.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FBowie%2C%20David The Man Who Sold The World "Live" - David Bowie Featuring Klaus Nomi. Perf. David Bowie. YouTube. 1 Aug. 2016. Web. 20 Jan. 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=87tHmJEpz40 Drawing Board: Bowie has had two wives, and has two children. Duncan Jones and Alexandria Jones He had a Cocaine problem which led to his thin appearance back during his Ziggy stardust and Thin White Duke days. He was born in Brixton, England. There is a mural of him as Ziggy Stardust on a wall there in his old neighborhood where fans leave flowers at daily. He originally said he was gay, then extracted this comment later and left ambiguous. Interviewers did not leave him alone on the subject. He battled liver cancer for 18 months, in this time he worked on a musical called Lazarus, and released his final album “Blackstar.� This album was released two days before his death, and was his parting gift to the world, his final piece of art to share.