The fascinating story of Ziggy Stardust, the androgynous rock star from outer space
David Bowie’s career is a tapestry of diverse stages (from the glam rock of Ziggy Stardust to the unadulterated pop sound of Let’s Dance) and a parade of characters he birthed (Major Tom, Ziggy Stardust, Aladdin Sane, the Thin White Duke, etc.). To fully understand the magnitude of his career would require a comprehensive musical dissertation.
No other artist in rock n roll history has undergone as many reinventions or fused sound and vision as successfully as Bowie.
Ten days post the release of Space Oddity, mankind first stepped on the moon, and the previous year saw the release of Kubrick’s sci-fi epic, The Space Odyssey. The era was undoubtedly heralding a rock n roll hero from the stars.
Among all his alter egos, Ziggy Stardust stands out as arguably the most significant persona of his career, marking one of rock n roll’s greatest moments.
Ziggy, the most renowned alien rock star, was a mysterious entity who first introduced the glimmer of stars and space into modern music history. His influence was instrumental in shaping 20th-century pop culture and kickstarting the glam rock movement, effectively ending the reign of the hippie aesthetic.
This is his story.
The Rise – An Androgynous Rock n Roll Messiah from Outer Space Emerges to Save the World
A few months after the release of Honky Dory (1971), Bowie tentatively breathed life into Ziggy through small live performances, marked by audacious costumes and bold futuristic makeup that instantly captivated the public. This was just the beginning. In the summer of ’72, he released his fifth studio album that would become a defining moment of the era.
The “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars” is a concept album.
The entire album spins the tale of Ziggy Stardust, a rock star who serves as the messenger for an alien life form communicating with our planet.
The Earth has a mere five years left (“Five Years”), and humanity is spiraling towards its end due to a depletion of natural resources. Ziggy is a bisexual alien superstar on a mission to save the world.
He is sexually adventurous, indulges in drugs, but brings a message of love and peace to the world. In the end, he is undone by his dangerous habits, but mostly by the adoration of the earthly fans he inspired. A celestial prophet destined to perish for humanity’s sake.
Bowie narrates his ascension and downfall through the eleven tracks on the album, which form a structured narrative with a beginning, middle, and end.
The songs include Five Years, Soul Love, Moonage Daydream, Starman, It ain’t easy, Lady Stardust, Star, Hang on to Yourself, Ziggy Stardust, Suffragette City, and finally, Rock N Roll Suicide.
The Social Context of the Ziggy Stardust Phenomenon – Space Oddity
This wasn’t Bowie’s first foray into the captivating realm of space.
In 1969, he released the single Space Oddity, introducing us to the solitary astronaut Major Tom, his inaugural astro-hero. This character set the stage for the Ziggy Stardust era.
The single was a massive hit, climbing to number 5 on the UK charts. However, the subsequent album of the same name didn’t fare as well. In 1980, eleven years later, Bowie revisited Major Tom in the song Ashes to Ashes (from the album Scary Monsters and Super Creeps), where the theme of drug use reemerges: “Ashes to ashes, funk to funky, We know Major Tom’s a junkie. Strung out in heaven’s high, Hitting an all-time low”.
In 1971, two years after Space Oddity, Bowie penned Moonage Daydream, which contains the first explicit references to a rock ‘n’ roll messiah descending from outer space to save the world.
Flashback to 1969
Just ten days after the single’s release, mankind first set foot on the moon. The previous year, Kubrick’s sci-fi epic 2001: A Space Odyssey – a film that Bowie acknowledged as a profound influence – had premiered. The title of Space Oddity is, in fact, a direct nod to the film.
The era was ripe for the rise of a rock ‘n’ roll hero from the stars.
Space Oddity Trivia:
In 2013, astronaut Chris Hadfield performed a stirring rendition of Bowie’s song from within the International Space Station. It marked the first time Space Oddity was heard beyond Earth, and Hadfield’s video quickly went viral. However, the creative astronaut nearly landed himself in hot water.
The company that holds the rights to Space Oddity halted the video’s circulation once the license previously obtained by the astronaut expired. Public opinion initially turned against Bowie over the perceived cold treatment, but he clarified that he actually sided with Hadfield and did not own any rights to the song (!) Ultimately, his license was renewed for another two years.
Enjoy:
The Creation of Ziggy Stardust and the Origin of His Name
David Bowie drew inspiration for Ziggy from the legendary Vince Taylor. He met the British rock ‘n’ roll singer – who had enjoyed success in the 1950s and ’60s – after Taylor had a nervous breakdown and began to believe he was some kind of god and alien.
In addition to Taylor, another significant influence on Bowie was the Legendary Stardust Cowboy (also known as Carl Odam), an underground performer considered one of the pioneers of the psychobilly movement and a man obsessed with space exploration.
The Legendary Stardust Cowboy “lent” his name to Bowie’s alter ego, while the name Ziggy, according to Bowie, came from a tailor shop of the same name that he happened upon. In a 1990 interview with Q magazine, he said, “I liked that it had Iggy (Pop)’s name in it, but it was actually the name of a tailor shop. And since I knew from the start that a big part of the Ziggy Stardust persona would be about clothes, I thought it was a good idea.”
As for the theories about which rock icon Bowie had in mind when he “created” Ziggy, the prevailing ones are Iggy Pop (naturally), Lou Reed, Marc Bolan, and Jimi Hendrix – mainly due to the reference to Ziggy being left-handed.
The Costumes
The hallmark of Ziggy Stardust was his extraordinary futuristic costumes. All the outfits sported during the tour were the creations of then 27-year-old Kansai Yamamoto. His personality and style were the primary influences behind the birth of Bowie’s extraterrestrial alter ego.
In a late ’90s interview, Bowie confessed that he didn’t own most of the pieces from the collection, “but I do have the boots, those red boots!” (which were actually part of the wardrobe for the following album tour, “Aladdin Sane”).
Bowie took charge of Ziggy’s makeup application without any professional guidance (“What do you know about makeup, you’re a woman!”).
The makeup ritual was serious business for the singer, and the entire process served to relax him and get him into character before each performance.
He acquired most of his knowledge and techniques on the subject from a Japanese kabuki star, Tamasaburo, whom he met during a trip to Japan.
Producing the Album
The inaugural sessions of “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars” commenced just a few weeks post the release of Hunky Dory, and were wrapped up in less than two months, in London.
Bowie’s band, the Spiders from Mars, comprised Mick Ronson (electric guitar, vocals, keyboards), Trevor Bolder (bass), and Mick Woodmansey (drums).
The album reached #5 on the UK charts and #75 on the US charts. Today, it is hailed as one of the most influential albums of all time (Rolling Stone, Q, TIME, etc.).
The Fall of Ziggy Stardust
For over a year following the album’s release, Bowie and his Spiders toured to tremendous success. The band members began to imagine that this artistic endeavor would continue for years, perhaps indefinitely.
However, the central character was growing weary and felt “deceived” by the success of his alter ego. Ziggy Stardust had morphed into a monster, and Bowie felt compelled to eliminate him.
On July 3, 1973, almost a year and a half after his “birth,” Ziggy Stardust would “die” in the same way he was born – on stage.
The live show at London’s Hammersmith Odeon, which was captured on film by D.A. Pennebaker’s renowned documentary, “Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars: The Motion Picture”, marked not only the end of their tour but also the final time Bowie would take the stage as Ziggy Stardust.
The live announcement left the rest of the band dumbfounded.
Ziggy, the alien saviour, came from outer space with a mission to save the world, but he couldn’t see it through.
Yet, before his departure, he certainly breathed new life into rock n roll.
Experience the entire album (it’s tough to pick just one track):
Perhaps the most beautiful record ever created…
