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A selection of little-known facts about David Bowie, the music business's ultimate "chameleon"

Sadly, David Bowie passed away in 2016, but his legacy is undoubtedly alive and thriving successfully....

What didn't fans know about David Bowie? Revealing little-known facts

David Bowie was a legendary British singer, songwriter and actor with a career spanning fifty years! During his lifetime, he sold over 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time... Known for his ability to reinvent a new "character" each time through the elaborate use of sets, costumes and make-up - Bowie had, and still has, an immeasurable impact....

Sadly, David Bowie passed away in 2016, but his legacy is undoubtedly alive and thriving successfully... There are many of his followers, and just people who admire his work immensely! But... what do fans don't already know about the legendary idol? Today we're here to reveal the most little-known facts about David Bowie! Let's begin...

His permanently dilated pupil was a consequence of a childhood argument

David Bowie as "Ziggy Stardust."
David Bowie as "Ziggy Stardust."

Contrary to popular belief, Bowie's eyes weren't different colours - it's just that one of his pupils was permanently dilated due to him being hit hard in the face during a fight over a girl when he was 15. Childhood friend and former love rival George Underwood told The Telegraph in 2019 that he punched Bowie after he interfered with his romantic plans:

"David called me on the day of the date and told me that a girl I really liked told him she didn't want to go out with me because she wanted to be with him..."

Underwood then found out that the girl was actually genuinely interested in him, and that Bowie had lied to him.

"I was riding the bus to school this morning and I heard him talking about it...," he said. "During recess, I hit him ..."

The blow resulted in an injury that left one of Bowie's eyes permanently dilated ...

He failed music in school

David Bowie.
David Bowie.

Bowie only gained one qualification during his time at Bromley Technical School. He also studied music and design, but failed both subjects. Anyway, it just goes to show that grades aren't everything. Bowie may not have got A's in his music exams, but Rolling Stone magazine named him the greatest rock star after his death in 2016, and they probably didn't ask to see a copy of his academic records before bestowing that honour...

His alter ego Ziggy Stardust made him "crazy"

The spectacular David Bowie!
The spectacular David Bowie!

Bowie claimed that his alter ego Ziggy Stardust haunted him even after he stopped performing as Ziggy. The artist is quoted in Christopher Sandford's 1997 biography of Bowie: Love of Aliens by Christopher Sandford as saying that Ziggy "wouldn't leave me alone for years to come":

"That was when things started to deteriorate... My personality was affected. It became very dangerous. I was really questioning my sanity..."

A spider is named in his honour

Heteropoda davidbowie
Heteropoda davidbowie

Heteropoda davidbowie rather resembles the legendary singer with bright orange hair, but unfortunately it is not from Mars. It was so named by German arachnologist Peter Jaeger, who noticed the resemblance between the spider and the singer when he discovered the creature in 2008. You can find Heteropoda davidbowie Huntsman spiders in the Cameron Highlands region of Malaysia, Singapore, Sumatra and possibly southern Thailand.

He was being chased by a pink rabbit

During his 2004 US tour, Bowie was followed by someone in a pink bunny suit. It seemed harmless enough until the pink rabbit followed him on one of his flights. Bowie recounted the incident on The Ellen Show in 2004, saying:

"I thought, well, hey, it's rock 'n' roll, it's just a rabbit that's five feet and three inches tall... and it was on an aeroplane. I'm not kidding!

The identity of the man in the rabbit costume has never been confirmed, although some believe the stalker was a Canadian woman named Isabelle Ganz.

He was once injured on stage with a lollipop on a stick

David Bowie.
David Bowie.

When Bowie was performing in Oslo, Norway, in 2004, a "fan" (or as it is fashionable to say today, a "follower") threw a lollipop at him. The stick from it hit Bowie right in the eye (yes, David Bowie's eyes are clearly his most vulnerable spot). An assistant rushed on stage to help the singer and make sure he wasn't seriously injured - luckily, the singer was fine and was able to resume the concert shortly after the incident.

He gave up his knighthood

David Bowie
David Bowie

Bowie was offered the Order of the British Empire in 2000 and a knighthood in 2003, but he declined both honours. He told The Sun in 2003:

"I was never going to agree to anything like that. I seriously don't know what it's for. It's not what I've worked my whole life for..."

Mick Jagger was also offered a knighthood in 2003 and accepted, which led to friction between him and his bandmate Keith Richards, who felt that accepting a knighthood went against the anti-government rock 'n' roll ideals of The Stones.

"It's not for me to judge Jagger, that's his decision. But it's just not for me," Bowie said on the subject.

He set up his own internet service provider

In 1998 Bowie started his own internet service provider called BowieNet, which lasted until 2012. It cost £10 a month and offered users 20MB to create their own homepage. By the way: Bowie was a true visionary regarding the technological advances made at the end of the 20th century. In his 1999 interview, Bowie said of the Internet:

"I don't think we've seen even the tip of the iceberg. I think the potential of what the Internet will do for society - good and bad - is unimaginable. I think we're actually on the cusp of something incredible and frightening..."

He was the first major artist to release a downloadable single

Bowie was extremely excited about the creation of the Internet, so it's not surprising that he jumped at the chance to explore ways in which he could utilise the Internet as an artist... In 1996, he released his single 'Telling Lies' exclusively on his website, making it the first downloadable single by a major artist.

The song was downloaded by over 300,000 people! And only two months after the online release, the single was released as a vinyl...

A strand of his hair sold for $19,000 in 2016

David Bowie
David Bowie

Bowie's hair during his lifetime was often talked about for its versatility and elegance - whether Bowie was a redhead like Ziggy Stardust or a playfully floppy early 60's curl, his hair always looked flawless. A few months after Bowie's death, a strand of his hair, cut in 1983 by a wig-maker at Madame Tussauds in London, was auctioned off for $18,750!

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