David Bowie has retired – biographer claims

Posted on 17 August 2011
By Richard Lewis
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David Bowie has ‘most likely’ retired from music according to his biographer. Music writer Paul Trynka says it would be ‘a miracle’ if he returned to music.

Trynka, who has written a new book about the singer entitled Starman believes that Bowie will only return if he ‘can deliver something seismic.’

Talking to Spinner, the writer said of Bowie’s chances of returning to music, ‘My heart says he’ll come back. But my head says he’s likely not to. I think he would only come back if he thinks he could deliver something that will be seismic.’

He continued, ‘If you pop back into the stage, it’s got to be something that has a big explosion and lots of flashes. It would be a bit of a miracle if he comes back, but miracles do happen.’

It has been eight years since Bowie released the well-received Reality in 2003, which followed hot on the heels of 2002’s Heathen.

The gap between recordings is especially notable as the singer had been consistently prolific since his debut album in 1967.

He has so far released 23 albums of original material, not including live albums and compilations across 36 years.

Bowie’s last live appearance was on stage with Alicia Keys in New York City in 2006.

The Chameleonic Rocker has given no indication whether he will record or tour again.

Next year marks the fortieth anniversary of the release of The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars, the album that turned Bowie into a household name.

Bowie’s groundbreaking gender-bending image was greeted with a mixture of astonishment and outrage in the 1970s.

The singer’s iconic Top of the Pops performance of Starman was accused of promoting homosexuality when he put his arm around guitarist Mick Ronson’s shoulders to sing the song’s chorus.

The singer also had the unusual distinction of being featured in a Worst Dressed Woman List printed by a newspaper in January 1974.

David Bowie through the Ages – The Essential Dozen

The Man Who Sold the World – The Man Who Sold the World – 1970
Life on Mars?– Hunky Dory – 1971
Suffragette City – Ziggy Stardust – 1972
Drive-In Saturday – Aladdin Sane – 1973
Rebel Rebel – Diamond Dogs – 1974
Young Americans – Young Americans – 1975
TVC 15 – Station to Station – 1976
Sound and Vision- Low – 1977
Scary Monsters and Super Creeps – Scary Monsters – 1980
Jump They Say – Black Tie, White Noise – 1993
The Heart’s Filthy Lesson – Outside/Seven Soundtrack – 1995
Everyone Says Hi – Heathen – 2002

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