David Bowie was the ultimate chameleon of rock, constantly reinventing himself throughout his career. This episode starts with his struggles from his multiple failed attempts at stardom. Despite these challenges, Bowie’s incorporated elements of his eclectic, failed past and created a groundbreaking sound and persona, cementing him as one of the most influential and successful artists in music history. In this episode you'll learn:

• The early struggles of Bowie as a wedding musician and subsequent career challenges
• How Bowie's older brother influenced his musical tastes and how his eventual mental illness haunted and motivated him
• How his wife helped craft the eccentric stage persona that launched him to fame
• The role his time abroad played in innovating a new wave sound, years before it was mainstream
• How Bowie rescued the life of an influential musician from the 1960s and co-created a new sound with him
• How a famous Beatle played a role in one of Bowie’s most iconic songs
• How his ever-evolving characters and musical anthems inspired a generation of disillusioned youth

Guest Bio - Paolo Hewitt, journalist & music commentator
Author and music journalist Paolo Hewitt is the author of several books on David Bowie, including Bowie: Album to Album, a retrospective of Bowie’s evolution over his career. Considered one of the foremost experts on Bowie, Paolo has not only written extensively about the artist but has also appeared as a commentator in documentaries on Bowie.

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