01-07-2017, 04:00 AM
The 8th of January has always been a special day to me because 2 of my musical heroes where born on this day.
Elvis Aaron Presley in 1935 would have turned 82 this year
David Robert Jones (Bowie) 1947 would have turned 70 this year
But now the 8th of January has a cloud over it as the 10th of January also marks the first anniversary of the untimely passing over of David Bowie.
Elvis was what I grew up on and I still remember the day he died and what I was doing even thought I was only just approaching my 9th birthday. I admired Elvis for the fact that he did what he did when he did despite censorship and was unapologetic about it.
David Bowie spoke to me shortly after my 10th birthday and the message was 'Different is better'. I had a hard time fitting in because I was labelled as a 'free thinker' and 'troublemaker' who questioned everything without just accepting reason...despite the fact we were never given reason other than 'It is what we are telling you is right that makes it right'
I wish I had the chance to see Elvis live and meet the man, but I am grateful that I saw Bowie several times over the years and and even met him once in Sydney in 1987.
An interesting bit of trivia, both men were known to each other and shortly before his death, Elvis reach out to Bowie to have him work on an album together. It was understood that Elvis wanted him to record, mix and produce the album after having success with Lour Reed and Iggy Pop, but they never got the chance to do it because at the time Bowie was in a creative flurry with with Low released early in the year, work on Heroes and it's impending release continued until October and a World Tour which later became another album 'Stage'.
You would have to wonder what would have come of the union.
Elvis Aaron Presley in 1935 would have turned 82 this year
David Robert Jones (Bowie) 1947 would have turned 70 this year
But now the 8th of January has a cloud over it as the 10th of January also marks the first anniversary of the untimely passing over of David Bowie.
Elvis was what I grew up on and I still remember the day he died and what I was doing even thought I was only just approaching my 9th birthday. I admired Elvis for the fact that he did what he did when he did despite censorship and was unapologetic about it.
David Bowie spoke to me shortly after my 10th birthday and the message was 'Different is better'. I had a hard time fitting in because I was labelled as a 'free thinker' and 'troublemaker' who questioned everything without just accepting reason...despite the fact we were never given reason other than 'It is what we are telling you is right that makes it right'
I wish I had the chance to see Elvis live and meet the man, but I am grateful that I saw Bowie several times over the years and and even met him once in Sydney in 1987.
An interesting bit of trivia, both men were known to each other and shortly before his death, Elvis reach out to Bowie to have him work on an album together. It was understood that Elvis wanted him to record, mix and produce the album after having success with Lour Reed and Iggy Pop, but they never got the chance to do it because at the time Bowie was in a creative flurry with with Low released early in the year, work on Heroes and it's impending release continued until October and a World Tour which later became another album 'Stage'.
You would have to wonder what would have come of the union.