Why David Bowie wore an eye patch, and where the pirate "Halloween Jack" came from: history and facts

In his 1974 song. "Diamond Dogs." legendary rock chameleon David Bowie sings:

"Halloween Jack is a really cool dude.
He lives on the roof of a skyscraper,
Which used to house the Chase Manhattan bank..."

This song was a worthy embellishment of the album of the same name with a rather colourful, yet scandalous with the cover. But more importantly, it gave the world a new character in the form of a space pirate named Halloween Jack. A lover of extravagant changes in image, Bowie did not miss the chance, and appeared before the public in a new role and ... with ... with a with an eye patch. But what is the real reason for this accessory, because originally it was not supposed to be there?

Background

Bowie was known for creating various characters throughout his career, including Ziggy Stardust and the Emaciated White Duke.but another little-known alter ego, Halloween Jackand it came to life during graduation. "Diamond Dogs.". The character's clothing, which retained some of Ziggy's stylistic elements, included a distinctive eye patch, which combined with the rest of his image to give Bowie a space-age pirate vibe that matched the musical themes he was exploring at the time.

David Bowie found inspiration in all sorts of things, from paintings to clothes. But most of all he was inspired by books and films. For example, the famous album "Diamond Dogs" 1974 of the year was born under the strong impression of several things: George Orwell's dystopian masterpiece "1984", writer William Burroughs' creation "The Wild Boys" - a post-apocalyptic novel where street gangs rule, and Stanley Kubrick's film "A Clockwork Orange".

All of these influences merged within the framework of the "Diamond Dogs."but the original idea was a little different....

A rejection, but not of the idea

In 1973, David Bowie was working on the songs for the theatre production of "1984"The author's widow, Sonia Orwell, refused to grant the eccentric artist permission. With no other outlet for the work he began on songs based on his favourite novel, the ideas found their way out, along with influences from The Wild Boys and A Clockwork Orange, in what became the concept album Diamond Dogs.

"They were both strong works of art, especially Burroughs' Wild Boy Gangs with their Bowie knives," the artiste later recounted.

The whole thing was a musical blockbuster where. Halloween Jack leads a youth gang called the Diamond Dogs in a post-apocalyptic place called Hungrytown. The costume that defined Bowie's alter ego "Halloween Jack" emphasised the pirate aspect of the character. But where did it come from eye patch?

The real reason Bowie wore an eye patch

Bowie's alter ego "Halloween Jack." It didn't last long, but it was remembered by the public for its bright red hair, shaved eyebrows, geometric shirt, cropped wide trousers, platform shoes and a long scarf, as well as an eye patch... Yes, this character was impossible to forget. Bowie revealed him to the world on 13 February 1974, when he performed at the Top Popby performing "Rebel Rebel."the first single from the album.

You can easily decide that the headband is a pre-planned part of the look. But it wasn't. Many years later, Freddie Buretti - Bowie's friend and former member of one of his early accompanist bands, who designed the clothes for his alter ego Halloween Jack - said: the eye patch was not originally part of the outfit. It was medically necessary.

"Then David had conjunctivitis, a common infection that can have a variety of causes, including a virus, and has unpleasant symptoms: mucus accumulation, swelling and redness of the whites, and so on..."

So - the patch was not a stage fad at all, but an important element to protect a sore eye. Eventually Bowie's eye went away, and he soon ditched the patch and then Halloween Jack in favour of the emaciated White Duke. However, many people remembered this image, but few knew its full origin story...