David Bowie obituary
Level 3 l Advanced
1 Quick quiz
Do the quiz. Then, scan the article to check your answers.
1. David Bowie was ... 3. Put the following David Bowie albums in order of
their release (one per decade).
a. & a British singer, songwriter and actor.
" Blackstar
b. & a British painter and actor.
" David Bowie
c. & an American musician and artist.
" Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)
2. What do these people have in common?
" Young Americans
" Ziggy Stardust
" Black Tie White Noise
" the Thin White Duke
Key words
2
Find the key words in the article and write them next to the definitions below. The paragraph numbers are
given to help you.
1. someone who is the first to do something or to discover something _________________________ (para 2)
2. changed in a sudden or noticeable way _________________________ (para 2)
3. supported by, allowing it to succeed or continue to exist _________________________ (two words, para 2)
4. natural ability that makes it easy for you to do something well _________________________ (para 3)
5. natural ability to do some things well _________________________ (para 6)
6. completely developed _________________________ (two words, para 8)
7. very beautiful _________________________ (para 8)
8. a role or character adopted by a performer _________________________ (para 11)
9. a period of time spent doing something _________________________ (para 12)
10. attack _________________________ (para 14)
11. the period of time when a person, idea or object is most successful or popular _________________________
(para 15)
12. a skill or ability _________________________ (para 15)
13. do something very often in a short period of time _________________________ (para 15)
14. affected by serious problems such as injury or illness _________________________ (two words, para 21)
15. officially accepted into something such as a group _________________________ (two words, para 22)
© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2016
NEWS LESSONS / David Bowie obituary / Advanced
"
OCOPIABLE
FROM WEBSITE
PHOT
"
CAN BE DOWNLOADED
 David Bowie obituary
Level 3 l Advanced
a songwriter who was thinking way beyond pop s
David Bowie obituary
usual boundaries.
Artist blazed a trail of musical trends and pop
7 He followed it with 1972 s Hunky Dory, a mix of
fashion, reinventing himself, his music and
wordy, elaborate songwriting. It was an excellent
media across many decades
collection that met with only moderate success
Adam Sweeting
but that all changed with The Rise and Fall of
11 January, 2016
Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars later
that year.
1 Until the last, David Bowie, who has died of
cancer, was still capable of springing surprises. 8 This time, Bowie emerged as a fully fledged
His latest album, Blackstar, appeared on his 69th science-fiction character  an intergalactic
birthday on 8 January 2016 and proved that his glam-rock star visiting a doomed planet Earth 
gift for making dramatic statements as well as and the album effectively wrote the script for his
challenging, disturbing music hadn t own stardom. The hit single Starman brought
deserted him. instant success for the album, while Bowie s
ravishing stage costumes and provocative
2 Throughout the 1970s, Bowie was a trailblazer
performances triggered fan enthusiasm unseen
of musical trends and pop fashion. Having
since Beatlemania.
been a late-60s mime and cabaret entertainer,
he evolved into a singer-songwriter, a pioneer 9 Everything Bowie touched turned to gold. He had
of glam-rock, then veered into what he called his first UK number 1 album with Aladdin Sane
 plastic soul , before moving to Berlin to create (1973), which generated the hit singles The Jean
innovative electronic music. His capacity for Genie and Drive-in Saturday. But Bowie was
already planning fresh career moves.
mixing brilliant changes of sound and image
underpinned by a genuine intellectual curiosity is
10 His increasing interest in funk and soul music
rivalled by few in pop history.
came to the fore on the deliciously listenable
Young Americans (1975), which gave him a US
3 Bowie was born David Robert Jones in south
chart-topper with Fame (featuring John Lennon
London. In 1953, the family moved to Kent,
as a guest vocalist).
where David showed aptitude in singing and
playing the recorder. Later, he studied art, music
11 Station to Station (1976) introduced a new
and design. In 1961, David s mother bought
persona, the Thin White Duke, which Bowie had
him a plastic saxophone, introducing him to an
carried over from his headlining performance as a
instrument which would become a recurring
melancholy space traveller in Nicolas Roeg s film
ingredient in his music.
The Man Who Fell to Earth.
4 At 15, David formed his first band, the Kon-rads.
12 Bowie s relationship with his wife had been
It was clear that David s talents and ambition
disintegrating under the pressures of success
dictated that he should go solo. David adopted
and the couple divorced in 1980. This was a year
the name Bowie to avoid confusion with Davy
of further creative triumph, bringing a fine album,
Jones of the Monkees.
Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps), and its spin-
off chart-topping single, Ashes to Ashes, followed
5 Bowie s first album, released in June 1967, was
by Bowie s well-received stint as John Merrick in
titled simply David Bowie. In July 1969, Bowie
The Elephant Man on the Broadway stage.
released Space Oddity, the song that would give
him his initial commercial breakthrough. Timed to 13 He achieved a number 1 single with his 1981
coincide with the Apollo 11 moon landing, it was a partnership with Queen, Under Pressure, while
top five UK hit. becoming increasingly involved in crossovers
between different media. He appeared in the
6 In March 1970, Bowie married art student, Angela
German movie Christiane F (1981) and wrote
Barnett. Artistically, Bowie was powering ahead.
music for the soundtrack. He had another chart
The Man Who Sold the World was released in
hit with Cat People (Putting Out Fire) from Paul
the US in late 1970 and in the UK the following
Schrader s movie Cat People (1982).
year, and with its daring songwriting and broody,
hard-rock sound, it was the first album to do full 14 Bowie continued to make progress as a screen
justice to his writing and performing gifts. The actor with appearances in The Hunger and the
album s themes included immortality, insanity, second world war drama Merry Christmas, Mr
murder and mysticism, evidence that Bowie was Lawrence, both released in 1983. Musically, this
© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2016
NEWS LESSONS / David Bowie obituary / Advanced
"
OCOPIABLE
FROM WEBSITE
PHOT
"
CAN BE DOWNLOADED
 David Bowie obituary
Level 3 l Advanced
was the year in which he put his energy into an 20 As an adopted New Yorker, Bowie was the
all-out commercial onslaught with the album opening act at the Concert for New York City in
Let s Dance and follow-up concerts. Let s Dance October 2001, where he joined Paul McCartney,
moulded Bowie into a crowd-friendly global rock Jon Bon Jovi, Billy Joel, the Who and Elton John
star, with the album and its singles Let s Dance, in a benefit show six weeks after the 9/11 attacks.
China Girl and Modern Love all becoming huge
21 Bowie was back in the studio the following year
international hits.
for Reality. However, in the midst of his Reality
15 This was the heyday of MTV and Bowie s knack tour in 2004, Bowie was stricken with chest pains
for eye-catching videos fuelled this commercial while performing in Germany and underwent
splurge, while the six-month Serious Moonlight emergency surgery in Hamburg to clear a
tour drew massive crowds. It was to be the most blocked artery.
commercially successful period of his career.
22 He took the medical emergency as a warning
16 His profile gained another boost from his and reduced the pace of his activities. In 2006,
appearance at the 1985 Live Aid famine relief he announced he would be taking a year off from
concert at Wembley Stadium, where he was one touring and recording. In February that year,
of the standout performers. In addition, he teamed he was given a Grammy lifetime achievement
up with Mick Jagger to record the fundraising single award, having been inducted into the Rock and
Dancing in the Street, which sped to number 1. Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.
17 A few days after his appearance at the Freddie 23 The Next Day (2013) was his first album of new
Mercury tribute concert at Wembley Stadium in material in a decade. It contained the single Where
April 1992, Bowie married the Somalian model Are We Now?, which gave him his first UK top 10
Iman and the couple bought a home in New York. hit since 1993. The album topped charts in Britain
This new start in his private life coincided with a and around the world. In 2014, Bowie was given
search for fresh musical inspiration. the Brit Award for Best British Male, making him
the oldest British recipient in the awards history.
18 For the album Black Tie White Noise (1993), he
sprinkled elements of soul, electronica and hip 24 He is survived by Iman, their daughter,
hop into the mix. It topped the UK album chart Alexandria, his stepdaughter, Zulekha, and his
and yielded a top 10 single, Jump They Say. son, Duncan, from his first marriage.
19 New media and technology influenced his
25 " David Bowie (David Robert Jones), singer,
recordings, too. His 1999 album Hours&
songwriter and actor, born 8 January, 1947; died
was based around music he had written for a
10 January, 2016
computer game called Omikron, in which Bowie
© Guardian News and Media 2016
and Iman appeared as characters. The birth of
First published in The Guardian, 11/01/16
Bowie and Iman s daughter, Alexandria, followed
in August 2000.
Biographical information
3
Answer the questions about David Bowie s life, if possible without referring back to the article.
1. Where was David Bowie born and in what year?
2. What was Bowie s birth name?
3. Why did he change his name?
4. What did he study at college?
5. What was the name of his first band?
6. What style of music is he considered to be a pioneer of?
7. What was he inducted into in 1996?
8. What awards did he receive in 2006 and 2014 respectively?
9. How many times did he marry?
10. How many children did he have?
© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2016
NEWS LESSONS / David Bowie obituary / Advanced
"
OCOPIABLE
FROM WEBSITE
PHOT
"
CAN BE DOWNLOADED
 David Bowie obituary
Level 3 l Advanced
4 Collocations
a. Join the words to make collocations from the article.
1. benefit a. breakthrough
2. Broadway b. relief
3. commercial c. single
4. creative d. concert
5. eye-catching e. vocalist
6. famine f. triumph
7. fundraising g. character
8. guest h. show
9. instant i. stage
10. provocative j. videos
11. science-fiction k. success
12. tribute l. performances
b. Use the collocations to complete the sentences about David Bowie and his work.
Bowie s first ______________________ ______________________ (1) came with the song Space Oddity in 1969.
Well known for his different personas, in 1972, Bowie presented himself as a ______________________
______________________ (2) named Ziggy Stardust, an intergalactic glam-rock star visiting planet Earth.
The hit single Starman brought ______________________ ______________________ (3) for the album titled The
Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.
He first topped the US charts with Fame, which featured John Lennon as a ______________________
______________________ (4).
1980 was a year of ______________________ ______________________ (5) for Bowie with the album Scary
Monsters (and Super Creeps) and the hit single Ashes to Ashes.
That same year he played the title role in The Elephant Man on the ______________________
______________________ (6).
Bowie s fans were extremely enthusiastic about his stage costumes and ______________________
______________________ (7).
In the 1980s, his commercial success was supported by his ______________________
______________________ (8), which people could watch on the popular music TV channel MTV.
He was one of the most outstanding performers at the Live Aid ______________________
______________________ (9) concert at Wembley Stadium in 1985.
He had hit singles with many other well-known artists, such as Queen, and also with Mick Jagger on the chart-
topping ______________________ ______________________ (10) Dancing in the Street.
Shortly after performing at the Freddie Mercury ______________________ ______________________ (11) in
1992, Bowie married Iman, a model from Somalia, and they bought a home in New York.
Six weeks after the 9/11 attacks in New York, Bowie was the opening act at a ______________________
______________________ (12) for the victims of the attack.
© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2016
NEWS LESSONS / David Bowie obituary / Advanced
"
OCOPIABLE
FROM WEBSITE
PHOT
"
CAN BE DOWNLOADED
 David Bowie obituary
Level 3 l Advanced
5 Word fields
a. Complete the word wheels with words from the article that the author used to describe Bowie s music
and songwriting, and his styles of music.
b. Which of these words could you use to talk about which other musicians?
Words describing
Bowie s music
Bowie s
styles
songwriting
6 Discussion
Music is known for its ability to evoke our memories.
" Do you connect any of Bowie s music with particular memories or periods of your life?
" Are there any other artists whose music, when you hear it, brings back personal memories?
" What would you say is the soundtrack of your childhood and youth?
7 Webquest
See photos of some the David Bowie s key looks (including Ziggy Stardust) here:
www.theguardian.com/fashion/gallery/2016/jan/11/david-bowie-key-looks-pictures
See pictures from his life and career here:
www.theguardian.com/music/gallery/2016/jan/11/david-bowies-life-and-career-in-pictures
© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2016
NEWS LESSONS / David Bowie obituary / Advanced
"
OCOPIABLE
FROM WEBSITE
PHOT
"
CAN BE DOWNLOADED
 David Bowie obituary
Level 3 l Advanced
KEY
1 Quick quiz 4 Collocations
1. a a.
2. They are personas created by David Bowie. 1. h
3. David Bowie (1967) 2. i
Young Americans (1975) 3. a
Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) (1980) 4. f
Black Tie White Noise (1993) 5. j
Blackstar (2016) 6. b
7. c
8. e
2 Key words
9. k
10. l
1. trailblazer
11. g
2. veered
12. d
3. underpinned by
4. aptitude
b.
5. gifts
1. commercial breakthrough
6. fully fledged
2. science-fiction character
7. ravishing
3. instant success
8. persona
4. guest vocalist
9. stint
5. creative triumph
10. onslaught
6. Broadway stage
11. heyday
7. provocative performances
12. knack
8. eye-catching videos
13. splurge
9. famine relief
14. stricken with
10. fundraising single
15. inducted into
11. tribute concert
12. benefit show
3 Biographical information
5 Word fields
1. in South London; in 1947
2. David Robert Jones
Bowie s songwriting: challenging, disturbing,
3. to avoid confusion with Davy Jones of the pop
innovative, daring, broody, wordy, elaborate,
group, the Monkees
deliciously listenable
4. art, music and design
5. the Kon-rads
Bowie s music styles: glam-rock, plastic soul,
6. glam-rock
electronic, electronica, hard rock, funk, soul, hip hop
7. the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
8. a Grammy lifetime achievement award; a Brit
Award for Best British Male
9. twice, to Angela Barnett and to Iman
10. two of his own, Duncan and Alexandria, and a
step-daughter, Zulekha
© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2016
NEWS LESSONS / David Bowie obituary / Advanced
"
OCOPIABLE
FROM WEBSITE
PHOT
"
CAN BE DOWNLOADED