The Early Years of David Bowie

The early years of David Bowie are explored. You can hear music on this episode by listening on MixCloud at: https://www.mixcloud.com/veteranrockers/veteran-rockers-episode-2-david-bowies-early-years/. David Bowie was born on January 8, 1947, into a London still scarred from World War II. This was a landscape littered with bomb sites and wreckage, inhabited by a populace that was traumatized by the experience and had to learn to live with rations, austerity, and make due. But then, there was nothing traditional about him from the beginning. The future Starman was born David Robert Jones in Brixton, south London, to Margaret "Peggy" Burns, a movie usherette, and Haywood "John" Jones, a PR officer for the children's charity Barnardo's. His parents were married only eight months after he was born. Both had children from prior marriages, and his father had attempted to launch his former wife Hilda as a singer in an attempt to fulfill his own dreams of being in show business. His efforts were in vain. Bowie's early years were anything but simple by all accounts. Bowie was close to Terry Burns, his older half-brother, despite their 10-year age difference. Terry would go on to have a significant impact on Bowie's life and tried to shield him from the schizophrenia on his mother's side of the family. The half-brothers would split for a couple of years when, in 1956, Terry was called up as part of his National Service. A year later, the Jones family left Brixton for the more staid environs of Bromley, an outer borough of Greater London where he met his lifelong friends Geoff MacCormack – who would later work with Bowie as his backing singer – and George Underwood who’d later make an inadvertent yet significant impact on Bowie’s life. The trio bonded over a love of Americana and rock’n’roll. After receiving a saxophone from his father, Bowie developed a stronger interest in art thanks to an experimental educational program led by Peter's father, Owen Frampton. With a growing fascination for fashion, the youthful Bowie experimented with his appearance. 1962 saw the largest and possibly most notable transformation in Bowie's teenage years. After having a falling out with his friend George Underwood about a girl named Carol who Bowie had attempted to kidnap, the former decided to handle things himself. This decade would be a challenging ride for Davie Jones, but in 1966, his song “Can’t Help Thinking About Me” released with his band The Lower 3rd was his first song recorded as David Bowie. Things would change forever in 1969, when “Space Oddity” would forever free him from obscurity. Please rate and review this episode and share on social media. Follow @veteranrockers on all major social media platforms.