David Bowie was incredibly gifted. He could morph from one colorful persona to another seamlessly. Remember Ziggy Stardust? Or Major Tom from the song "Space Oddity"? He could be anyone or anything he wanted to be. We loved him for that glorious, shape-shifting talent.
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According to faroutmagazine.co.uk, "[Major Tom] was the first of many characters that David Bowie created throughout his life, as with each album came a new sound, a new theme and something new for fans to become obsessed with...His creative abilities were absolutely limitless, and his work is something we can look back on now with real admiration." It's hard to imagine that someone like David Bowie would be envious of another person in the music industry. But he reportedly was. Who did he allegedly eye with jealousy?
David Bowie Felt He Had Scant Natural Aptitude For Songwriting
This seems like a jaw-dropper from such a talented star. Per the outlet, Bowie shared, "I didn't know how to write a song, I wasn't particularly good at it. I forced myself to be a good songwriter, and I became a good songwriter," But I had no natural talents whatsoever. I made a job of work at getting good. And the only way I could learn was see how other people did it. I wasn't one of those guys who came out of the womb-like Marc [Bolan]."
Other legendary songwriters in the rock era have had great difficulty, especially at first. Keith Richards and Mick Jagger supposedly were "locked in a kitchen by their manager and weren't allowed out until they had written their first song." I guess if you are forced to sit together with your collaborator in a room with a stove, a fridge, and pots and pans until you have a song done, that would be an incentive to produce one!
He Left A Legacy Of Amazing Music
David Bowie died of liver cancer in 2016, just two days after his 69th birthday. His output was extraordinary by anyone's standards. The craftsmanship, boldness, and originality that distinguished everything he did was his trademark. He was an irreplaceable cultural force.
Hrrmpf, everyone with any bit of memory left over from 1968-69 remembers that Paul Anka actually penned "My Way" specifically for Frank Sinatra. Bowie can claim whatever he wants, but the fact remains that Anka and Sinatra were the first to put the words and that tune out there.