David Robert Jones, known professionally as David Bowie, was an English singer, songwriter and actor. He was a figure in popular music for over five decades, regarded by critics and musicians as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s. His career was marked by reinvention and visual presentation, his music and stagecraft significantly influencing popular music. During his lifetime, his record sales, estimated at 140 million worldwide, made him one of the world's best-selling music artists. In the UK, he was awarded nine platinum album certifications, eleven gold and eight silver, releasing eleven number-one albums. In the US, he received five platinum and seven gold certifications. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. Born and raised in South London, Bowie developed an interest in music as a child, eventually studying art, music and design before embarking on a professional career as a musician in 1963. “Space Oddity” became his first top-five entry on the UK Singles Chart after its release in July 1969. After a period of experimentation, he re-emerged in 1972 during the glam rock era with his flamboyant and androgynous alter ego Ziggy Stardust. The character was spearheaded by the success of his single “Starman” and album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, which won him widespread popularity. In 1975, Bowie's style shifted radically towards a sound he characterized as “plastic soul,” initially alienating many of his UK devotees but garnering him his first major US crossover success with the number-one single “Fame” and the album Young Americans. In 1976, Bowie starred in the cult film The Man Who Fell to Earth and released Station to Station. The following year, he further confounded musical expectations with the electronic-inflected album Low (1977), the first of three collaborations with Brian Eno that would come to be known as the Berlin Trilogy. Heroes (1977) and Lodger (1979) followed; each album reached the UK top five and received lasting critical praise. After uneven commercial success in the late 1970s, Bowie had UK number ones with the 1980 single “Ashes to Ashes,” its parent album Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps), and “Under Pressure,” a 1981 collaboration with Queen. He then reached his commercial peak in 1983 with Let's Dance, with its title track topping both UK and US charts. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Bowie continued to experiment with musical styles, including industrial and jungle. Bowie also continued acting; his roles included Major Celliers in Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983), the Goblin King Jareth in Labyrinth (1986), Pontius Pilate in The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), and Nikola Tesla in The Prestige (2006), among other film and television appearances and cameos. He stopped concert touring after 2004 and his last live performance was at a charity event in 2006. In 2013, Bowie returned from a decade-long recording hiatus with the release of The Next Day. He remained musically active until he died of liver cancer two days after the release of his final album, Blackstar (2016).

Filmography

• 2026Looking for Laurie — Songs
• 2026Tribute to David Bowie - Heroes Never Die — Original Music Composer, Author, Compositor
• 2025Twiggy — (archival footage)
• 2024David Bowie: The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars (2024 Dolby Atmos Mix) — Guitar, Saxophone, Vocals
• 2024TIME — Narrator (voice)
• 2023Dear Bowie — David Bowie
• 2022Moonage Daydream — Self (archive footage), Music
• 2019The SpongeBob Musical: Live on Stage! — Songs
• 2018BowieNext - Nascita di una galassia
• 2018Lazarus — Original Music Composer, Writer
• 2017Ryuichi Sakamoto: CODA — Jack Celliers (archive footage)
• 2017Shot! The Psycho-Spiritual Mantra of Rock — Self - Musician (archive footage), Thanks
• 2017Sound and Vision — Sound
• 2016Closer — In Memory Of
• 2016David Bowie: The Berlin Briefings
• 2016Gimme Danger — archive footage
• 2014Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces — Phillip Jeffries
• The Frame — John Blaylock
• 2013The Stars (Are Out Tonight)
• 2012David Bowie - The Calm Before The Storm: Under Review 1969 - 1971 — Self - Singer, songwriter
• 2010Let’s Spend the Night Together: Confessions of Rock’s Greatest Groupies — archive footage
• 2009Bandslam — David Bowie
• 2008August — Cyrus Ogilvie
• 2007David Bowie - Music in Review — Self - Singer, Songwriter
• 2007David Bowie - The Plastic Soul Review — Self - Singer, Songwriter
• 2007David bowie - Up Close and Personal — Self - Singer, Songwriter
• 2007Journey Through the Labyrinth — Thanks
• 2007Scott Walker: 30 Century Man — Self, Executive Producer
• 2007SpongeBob's Atlantis SquarePantis — Lord Royal Highness
• 2006Arthur and the Invisibles — Maltazard (voice)
• 2006Best of Bowie — Director
• 2006David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust — Self - Singer, Songwriter
• 2006The Prestige — Tesla
• Extras — David Bowie
• 2005Tráiler para amantes de lo prohibido! — Thanks
• 2004Bowie: A Reality Tour — Self, Writer
• David Bowie - Best Of
• 2002David Bowie: Best of Bowie — Self (archive footage), Director
• 2001The Changing Same — Music
• 2001Zoolander — David Bowie
• 2000Mr. Rice's Secret — Mr. William Rice
• 1999Everybody Loves Sunshine — Bernie
• SpongeBob SquarePants — Lord Royal Highness (voice)
• 1998Gunslinger's Revenge — Jack Sikora
• The Hunger — The Host
• 1996Basquiat — Andy Warhol
• TFI Friday
• 1994Gay! Gay! Hollywood
• 1994Magic Hunter — Executive Producer
• 1994The World of Jim Henson — Jareth (archive footage)
• Full Stretch — David Bowie
• The Buddha of Suburbia — Music
• 1993Tina Turner: The Girl from Nutbush
• Later... with Jools Holland
• 1992Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me — Phillip Jeffries
• 1991The Linguini Incident — Monte
• Dream On — Sir Roland Moorecock
• 1990Lennon: A Tribute
• Twin Peaks — Phillip Jeffries (archive footage)
• 1989Tin Machine - Live at Paradiso
• 1988David Bowie: Glass Spider — Self, Choreographer
• 1988The Last Temptation of Christ — Pontius Pilatus
• 1986Absolute Beginners — Vendice Partners, Songs
• 1986Labyrinth — Jareth, Songs
• 1986When the Wind Blows — Main Title Theme Composer
• 1985David Bowie at Live Aid
• 1985Into the Night — Colin Morris
• 1985Tokyo Melody: A Film About Ryuichi Sakamoto — Celliers (archive footage)
• 1984David Bowie: Jazzin' for Blue Jean — Vic / Screaming Lord Byron, Writer
• 1983David Bowie: Serious Moonlight Montreal — Self, Writer
• 1983David Bowie: Serious Moonlight Sydney
• 1983Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence — Celliers
• 1983The Hunger — John Blaylock
• 1983Yellowbeard — The Shark (uncredited)
• 1983Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars — Self / Ziggy Stardust, Songs, Sound Mixer
• 1982Baal — Baal
• 1982Cat People — Theme Song Performance
• 1982We Will Rock You — Songs
• 1981Christiane F. — David Bowie
• 1979Radio On — Songs
• 1978David Bowie On Stage
• 1978David Bowie: Live at Beat Club Musikladen — Self - Keyboard, Vocals
• 1978David Bowie: Musikladen Extra — Self - Keyboard, Vocals
• 1978Just a Gigolo — Paul Ambrosius von Przygodski
• Young Music Show
• 1976The Man Who Fell to Earth — Thomas Jerome Newton
• 1974Diamond Dogs Demo Video — Self / Harpie, Director
• 1970The Looking Glass Murders — Cloud, Writer
• 1969David Bowie: Love You Till Tuesday — Self, Music
• 1969The Image — The Boy
• 1969The Virgin Soldiers — Soldier
• Theatre 625
• David Bowie - PNE Live Rehearsal 1976 — Self - Vocals, Saxophone
• David Bowie: Day-In Day-Out

Appearances as themselves (187)

• 2025Bowie: The Final Act — Self (archive footage)
• 2025Enigma — Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
• 2025Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music — Self (archive footage)
• 2025Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror — Self (archive footage)
• 2024Can Creativity Save the World? — Self (archive footage)
• 2024DEVO — Self (archive footage)
• 2024Eno — Self (archive footage)
• Hits That Missed at the BBC — Self (archive footage)
• 2024Jim Henson Idea Man — Self (archive footage)
• 2024Luther: Never Too Much — Self (archive footage)
• 2024Placebo: This Search for Meaning — Self (archive footage)
• 2023AngelHeaded Hipster: The Songs of Marc Bolan & T. Rex — Self (archive footage)
• 2023LOLA — Self - Singer (archive footage)
• 2023Nam June Paik: Moon Is the Oldest TV — Self (archive footage)
• 2023The Lost Weekend: A Love Story — Self (archive footage)
• 2023Thriller 40 — Self (archive footage)
• 2023WHAM! — Self (archive footage)
• 2022Freddie Mercury: The Final Act — Self (archive footage)
• Il était une fois Champs-Élysées — Self (archive footage)
• 2022Mickey: The Story of a Mouse — Self (archive footage)
• 1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything — Self (archive footage)
• 20212021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony — Self
• 2021David Bowie: London Boy — Self
• 2021David Bowie: Out of this World — Self
• 2021Moby Doc — Self
• 2021The Dancing Man of L.A. — Self (archive footage)
• 2021The Velvet Underground — Self (voice)
• This Is Pop — Self (archive footage)
• 70 Years of Youth Revolt — Self (archive footage)
• 2020Lindsay Dances - Theatre and life according to Lindsay Kemp — Self
• 2020The BRITs at 40 — Self (archive footage)
• 2020The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2020 Inductions — Self (archive footage)
• 2020Zappa — Self (archive footage)
• 2019David Bowie: Finding Fame — Self (archive footage)
• 2019My Music: A Classic Christmas — Self (archive footage)
• 2019The Show Must Go On: The Queen + Adam Lambert Story — Self (archive footage)
• 2019WBCN and the American Revolution — Self
• 2018Bowie: Glastonbury 2000 — Self - Vocals
• 2018Freddie Mercury: The King of Queen — Self - Singer
• 2018Why Are We Creative? — Self
• 2017Beside Bowie - The Mick Ronson Story — Self - Narrator (voice)
• 2017Bowie at the BBC — Self (archive footage)
• 2017David Bowie: The Last Five Years — Self (archive footage)
• 2017Der Reichstag — Self (archive footage)
• 2017Glam Rock at the BBC — Self (archive footage)
• 2016Bowie: The Man Who Changed the World — Self (archive footage)
• 2016Burden — Self (archive footage)
• 2016David Bowie - In His Own Words — Self (archive footage)
• 2016David Bowie I Love You (Since I Was Six) — Self
• 2016David Bowie: Sound and Vision — Self
• 2016David Bowie: Starman — Self
• 2016David Bowie: The Man Who Stole the World — Self (archive footage)
• 2016Gaga for Dada: The Original Art Rebels — Self
• 2016Night Flight: Born Again — Self
• 2016The Dada Principle — Self
• 2015B-Movie: Lust & Sound in West-Berlin 1979-1989 — Self
• 2015David Bowie: On the Rock Trail — Self (archive footage)
• 2015Let's Dance: Bowie Down Under — Self
• 2015Wilde Jahre West-Berlin — Self
• 2014Bing Crosby: Rediscovered — Self (archive footage)
• 2014I Am Divine — Self (archive)
• 2014Soul Boys of the Western World — Self (archive footage)
• 2013David Bowie Is Happening Now — Self (archive footage)
• 2013David Bowie: Five Years — Self (archive footage)
• Discovering Music — Self (archive footage)
• 2012Clockwork Orange County — Self
• 2012David Bowie & The Story of Ziggy Stardust — Self / Ziggy Stardust (archive footage)
• Personne ne bouge ! — Self
• 2012The Genius of David Bowie — Self - Performer (archive footage)
• 2012Vanilla Ice Archive — Self (archive footage)
• 2011Acoustic at the BBC — Self
• 2011The Love We Make — Self
• 2010Bing Crosby: The Television Specials Volume 2 – The Christmas Specials — Self
• 2010Bowie, Iggy & Lou 1971-1973: The Sacred Triangle — Self (archive footage)
• 2010David Bowie: Rare and Unseen — Self
• 2009David Bowie: VH1 Storytellers — Self
• 2009Krautrock: The Rebirth of Germany — Self (archive footage)
• 2008Kings of Glam — Self (archive footage)
• 2007David Gilmour - Breaking Bread, Drinking Wine — Self
• 2007David Gilmour: Remember That Night — Self - Guest Artist
• Seven Ages of Rock — Self
• 2006David Bowie - Total Rock Review — Self
• 2006David Bowie: Under Review 1976-79 — Self
• 2006The Midnight Special Legendary Performances: Million Sellers — Self
• 2005Françoise Hardy : Tant de belles choses... — Self
• 2005Inside the Music — Self
• 2005Live Aid Against All Odds — Self
• 2005Live Aid: 20 Years Ago Today — Self
• 2005TV Party — Self
• 2005The Work of Director Mark Romanek — Self (archive footage)
• 2004Live Aid — Self
• 2004Pixies: Gouge — Self
• 2004Rockthology 2 — Self (archive footage)
• 2004Superstar in a Housedress: The Life and Legend of Jackie Curtis — Self (archive footage)
• 2004The Nomi Song — Self (archive footage)
• 2003Can't Buy Me Lunch: Another Look at The Rutles — Self - Interviewee
• 2003Cher: The Farewell Tour — Self (archive footage)
• 2003David Bowie - Sound and Vision — Self
• 2003David Bowie: Live at Riverside Studios '03 — Self
• 2003David Bowie: Reality Live — Self
• 2003Ed Sullivan Presents: Rock 'N' Roll Revolution: The British Invade America, America Fights Back — Self (archive footage)
• 2003Late Night with Conan O'Brien: 10th Anniversary Special — Self
• 2003Mayor of the Sunset Strip — Self
• 2003Queen: Greatest Video Hits 2 — Self
• The Ellen DeGeneres Show — Self
• 2002David Bowie: Live Olympia Paris — Self
• 2002David Bowie: Live at Montreux — Self
• 2002David Bowie: Live by Request — Self
• 2002Hollywood Rocks the Movies: The 1970s — Self - Narrator (voice)
• 2002Hr. Vinterberg & Mr. Bowie — Self
• 2002Queen - The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert 10th Anniversary Documentary — Self
• 2002Supergroups — Self
• 2001Classic Albums: Lou Reed - Transformer — Self
• Friday Night with Jonathan Ross — Self - Guest
• 2001The Concert for New York City — Self
• 2000Bowie at the BBC — Self - Vocals
• 2000David Bowie: Roseland Ballroom, NYC — Self
• 2000The Filth and the Fury — Self (archive footage)
• 2000The Ten Commandments of Creativity — Self
• 1999David Bowie - Live at The Elysee Montmartre Paris — Self
• 1999Saturday Night Live: 25th Anniversary Special — Self
• Where Are They Now? — Self
• 1998A Bing Crosby Christmas — Self (archive footage)
• 1998Goldie: When Saturn Returns — Self
• 1998In Stillness and in Silence (Sacred) — Self
• 1998Lou Reed: Rock and Roll Heart — Self
• Parkinson — Self - Guest / Performer
• 1997David Bowie & Friends: A Very Special Birthday Celebration — Self
• 1997David Bowie - Live from the 10th spot — Self
• 1997David Bowie Birthday Celebration Live in NYC — Self
• 1997David Bowie: An Earthling at 50 — Self - Interviewee
• 1997David Bowie: Earthling On TV — Self
• 1997Nine Inch Nails: Closure — Self
• 1996David Bowie - Kremlin Palace Moscow — self
• 1996The Fine Art of Separating People from Their Money — Self
• 1995David Bowie: The Making of "1.Outside" — Self
• Die Harald Schmidt Show — Self
• 1995Nine Inch Nails & David Bowie: Dissonance — Self
• 1995Queen: Champions of the World — Self
• Exclusiv - Das Star-Magazin — self
• 1993David Bowie: Black Tie White Noise — Self
• Late Night with Conan O'Brien — Self - Musical Guest
• 1992Blast 'Em — Self (uncredited)
• ECHO-Verleihung — Self
• 1992The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert — Self
• 1991Queen: Greatest Flix II — Self (archive footage)
• 1990David Bowie: Live At The Tokyo Dome — Self
• 1988Imagine: John Lennon — Self
• Sacrée soirée — Self (Clip) (archive footage), Self - Tin Machine
• 1986Inside the Labyrinth — Self
• 1986Looney Tunes 50th Anniversary — Self
• 1985Live Aid — Self
• 1985Tina Turner: Private Dancer Tour — Self
• 1985Video AID — Self
• 1984David Bowie: Serious Moonlight — Self - Lead Vocals / Guitar
• 1984David Bowie: The Serious Moonlight Tour — Self
• MTV Video Music Awards — Self
• 1984Ricochet — Self
• 1983Cool Cats: 25 Years of Rock 'n' Roll Style — Self (archive footage)
• 1983Group Madness — Self
• 1983The Oshima Gang — Self
• Champs-Elysées — Self
• Wetten, dass..? — Self
• 1980The Sensational Shocking Wonderful Wacky 70's — Self
• 1978David Bowie On Stage: Live in Japan — Self
• Auf los geht's los — Self
• 1977Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas — Self
• The BRIT Awards — Self
• Cher — Self
• 1975David Bowie: Cracked Actor — Self
• Les Rendez-vous du dimanche — Self
• 1975Night Lunch — Self
• Saturday Night Live — Self - Musical Guest
• Système 2 — Self
• 1973David Bowie: The 1980 Floor Show — Self
• Musikladen — Self
• Unsere kleine Show - Musik zur blauen Stunde — Self
• The Dick Cavett Show — Self - Guest
• 1967NBC television special: The Pursuit of Pleasure — Self
• Omnibus — Self
• 4-3-2-1 Hot and Sweet — Self
• Top of the Pops — Self (archive footage)
• Ready Steady Go! — Self
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson — Self
• Are We Not Men? — Self (archive footage)
• David Bowie – A Legend in Review — Self
• The Making of Shrek 2 — Self