David Bowie David Bowie artist page: interviews, features and/or performances archived at NPR Music

David Bowie

Tuesday January 25, 2022

David Bowie poses for a portrait in 1976. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption

Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

World Cafe Words and Music Podcast

The Culture Corner: What was David Bowie up to in Philly in the '70s?

WXPN

January 25, 2022 • You may know about Bowie's time in New York City and Berlin. But do you know about his connection to Philadelphia? In this episode of The Culture Corner, correspondent John Morrison explains.

World Cafe Culture Corner: David Bowie in Philadelphia

14:51

Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1075541878/1075563136" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Friday December 17, 2021

NPR 50: The long tail of David Bowie's explosive 'Hunky Dory'

A detail from the cover of David Bowie's album Hunky Dory, first released in 1971. Originally released by RCA Records hide caption

toggle caption

Originally released by RCA Records

NPR 50: The long tail of David Bowie's explosive 'Hunky Dory'

December 17, 2021 • Bowie was still an aspiring pop star, with but one successful single under his belt, at the time of Hunky Dory's release. It wouldn't last.

NPR 50: The long tail of David Bowie's explosive 'Hunky Dory'

Listen · 5:26 5:26

Transcript

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1059018634/1065083203" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Transcript

Friday November 5, 2021

Hear David Bowie's World Cafe session, live from Sigma Sound Studios in 1997

David Bowie, performing in Glasgow, Scotland on July 22, 1997. Mirrorpix/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption

Mirrorpix/Getty Images

Hear David Bowie's World Cafe session, live from Sigma Sound Studios in 1997

WXPN

November 5, 2021 • The not-so-thin Duke chatted about Berlin, glam rock and how a boring suburban childhood pushed him to seek out new ideas.

Wednesday June 16, 2021

A David Bowie Painting That Sold For $4 At A Thrift Store Is Now Up For Auction

Painting by David Bowie on auction. Cowley Abbott hide caption

toggle caption

Cowley Abbott

A David Bowie Painting That Sold For $4 At A Thrift Store Is Now Up For Auction

June 16, 2021 • The painting is expected to sell for thousands of dollars. The unnamed seller, who found the painting at a donation center in Canada, paid $4.09.

A David Bowie Painting That Sold For $4 At A Thrift Store Is Now Up For Auction

Listen · 0:29 0:29

Transcript

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1007047497/1007047498" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Transcript

Monday May 3, 2021

Los Angeles, January 1971: A pre-glam David Bowie jams at a party. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption

Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

What The Radio Sounded Like In 1971

WXPN

May 3, 2021 • NPR broadcast its first on-air original programming 50 years ago today: May 3, 1971.

Celebrating NPR's 50th On World Cafe

1:58:52

Friday January 8, 2021

Las Cafeteras released a Spanglish cover of "Georgia On My Mind" in December as the Senate race in Georgia headed to a runoff. Ella Hovsepian/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption

Ella Hovsepian/Getty Images

Music That Moves From Despair To Hope

January 8, 2021 • After an upsetting week in the U.S., we offer some music to cope, featuring David Bowie and Miriam Makeba, plus covers by Las Cafeteras and Los Cenzontles.

Friday February 7, 2020

Busy Friday, But Is It Good? Looking At New Releases From Bieber, Carly Rae And More

Justin Bieber, photographed during the 2018 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game at Los Angeles Convention Center on February 16, 2018. Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption

Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images

Busy Friday, But Is It Good? Looking At New Releases From Bieber, Carly Rae And More

February 7, 2020 • The end of the workweek always brings with it a lot of music, but for whatever reason today is particularly jam-packed, with releases from Carly Rae Jepsen, Lil Nas X, David Bowie and many others.

Wednesday January 8, 2020

Hear A Previously Unreleased Version Of David Bowie's 'The Man Who Sold The World'

The album art for the forthcoming Is It Any Wonder? EP. Albert Watson/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption

Albert Watson/Courtesy of the artist

Hear A Previously Unreleased Version Of David Bowie's 'The Man Who Sold The World'

January 8, 2020 • An EP of unreleased recordings will be rolling out new songs over the next six weeks.

Thursday August 29, 2019

Nile Rodgers On Writing Smash Hits And Reworking David Bowie's 'Let's Dance'

Nile Rodgers speaks onstage during the 2019 SXSW Conference and Festivals in Austin, Texas. The soul and disco legend spoke with World Cafe host Talia Schlanger while in London. Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for SXSW hide caption

toggle caption

Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for SXSW

World Cafe

Nile Rodgers On Writing Smash Hits And Reworking David Bowie's 'Let's Dance'

WXPN

August 29, 2019 • Hear a very rare demo of the first time David Bowie ever sang the title track to his 15th studio album after Rodgers rearranged it.

Nile Rodgers On World Cafe

42:50

Wednesday December 19, 2018

In 2018, Prince's estate released a recording from the artist's fabled vault called Piano & A Microphone 1983. Allen Beaulieu/The Prince Estate hide caption

toggle caption

Allen Beaulieu/The Prince Estate

Best Music Of 2018

The Best Reissues Of 2018

December 19, 2018 • This year, fueled by the vinyl resurgence and recent deaths of major stars, the field of archival music percolated with releases of music both well-known and relatively unknown.

Sunday August 26, 2018

Ashes To Ashes, Funk To Funky: Questions For Jason Heller, Author Of 'Strange Stars'

David Bowie performs in character as Ziggy Stardust, in a 1973 show in London. Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption

Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns/Getty Images

Author Interviews

Ashes To Ashes, Funk To Funky: Questions For Jason Heller, Author Of 'Strange Stars'

August 26, 2018 • Critic and author Jason Heller's new book traces the considerable influence of David Bowie on the science-fiction inflected music of the 1970s, from "Space Oddity" to the glittery glory of Funkadelic.

Monday July 23, 2018

David Bowie's First Demo, From 1963, Found In Bread Basket

David Bowie, photographed on March 3, 1965 — two years after the future legend recorded a demo for Decca Records with The Konrads. Potter/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption

Potter/Getty Images

Music News

David Bowie's First Demo, From 1963, Found In Bread Basket

July 23, 2018 • The recording, a single recorded by one of Bowie's earliest projects The Konrads, was discovered after 55 years by a former bandmate and will go to auction in September.

Saturday March 17, 2018

What You Could Take Away From 'David Bowie Is'

David Bowie Is will run from March 2, 2018 through July 15, 2018 at the Brooklyn Museum. Jonathan Dorado/Courtesy of Brooklyn Museum hide caption

toggle caption

Jonathan Dorado/Courtesy of Brooklyn Museum

The Record

What You Could Take Away From 'David Bowie Is'

March 17, 2018 • When the exhibit was first conceived, in tandem with Bowie's own collection, its success was far from guaranteed. In the five years since, it's outlived its subject and changed as much as he once did.

Friday October 6, 2017

How 'Ashes To Ashes' Put The First Act Of David Bowie's Career To Rest

David Bowie performing live in 1978. A new box set collects all of Bowie's albums released between 1977 and 1982. Dagmar/Courtesy of Rhino Records hide caption

toggle caption

Dagmar/Courtesy of Rhino Records

The Record

How 'Ashes To Ashes' Put The First Act Of David Bowie's Career To Rest

October 6, 2017 • Following a decade of relentless self-reinvention, one song signaled the beginning of a new persona for the shape-shifting pop star: one known simply as David Bowie.

Friday April 28, 2017

Remember 'Labyrinth'? David Bowie's Score For The Cult Classic Is Back

Courtesy of YouTube

All Songs Considered

Remember 'Labyrinth'? David Bowie's Score For The Cult Classic Is Back

April 28, 2017 • Nostalgic fans of the Jim Henson movie are cheering the return of a long out-of-print and now remastered version of its score by David Bowie and Trevor Jones.