Deadman31

Jesus, all of you with crying over celebrities you have never met. I liked Bowie, I liked Motorhead (big fan when I was younger) , but there is no way I would ever spend one second crying over the death of someone I didnt know. What do you guys do when you lose a family member?

slop101

I'm not one to judge someone's emotional state, but I have to agree.

Mikael79

Same here. I remember being really sad and shocked on the day that Jim Henson and Sammy Davis, Jr. died, and several other famous people - but never have I shed a tear over it.

Ok, maybe watching Johnny Cash's Hurt video after his death, but that is a little different. Right?

Ringmaster

Why criticize those who do cry? Everyone has different levels of emotions and how they express them. Anyone could get affected by a story or by a person, whom they never met, that moves them to tears. There is nothing wrong with not crying either.

dave94

I don't imagine that the emotions people are feeling has anything at all to do with "knowing" the person that brings that out in them.

It's about the effect that particular musician, actor, world leader, etc. had on you, whether it be now or at some time in your life.

That's most of what I'm hearing about Bowie, that he made people feel that you can be who you are in whatever way you want to be. There haven't always been examples of that for people to connect with.

parrotheads4

I don't think people are crying for the celebrity. I think they are crying for themselves. The celebrity brought memories, thoughts, philosophy, and events to their lives. Knowing Bowie can't bring us more, knowing how rare his genius is, will leave a hole.

CRM114

If Bowie stopped making music and faded into his 80's in obscurity and died of old age, I don't think it would be as emotional. When someone dies suddenly out the blue, 2 days after his album is released, and at what many perceive as a complete artistic resurgence, it's different. Add that to the complete icon status Bowie achieved and the place he had in the memories of us born in the 60's.

Rypro 525

^ & because he kept his life private. The only ones who knew he had cancer were his collaborators & family

islandclaws

Very fitting that "Blackstar" is entering the Billboard 200 at #1, giving Bowie his first chart-topping album ever.

In fact, with "Best of Bowie" re-entering at #4 he's achieved another rare feat of having two albums in the top five at once.

Eddie W

People have a very intimate relationship with their favorite musicians, very different from actors & sports celebrities, even family members. Especially an artist like Bowie. Who's music, lyrics, and persona really had a meaningful impact on people's lives.

So if I shed a little tear now when listening to Bowie, it's not only because a human being died. It's because I have a lifetime history with this guy. From picking up a scratched-to-shit copy of Young Americans at a flea market when I was 12, to last week.

And all those songs now have a twinge of finality about them. Something I can't really describe happens in the way you listen to music after the artist has passed. It's like it's finite now instead of an evolving thing.

By all accounts, Mr. Bowie was a very kind man. I didn't know him. But I still feel a loss.

Lemmy, I don't get though.

Supermallet

So sad that it took his death for him to have a #1 album. Also amazing that Let's Dance was never a #1.

Jason

You don't think people had the same experiences with his music that you did with Bowie? That's a little presumptuous.

Rocketdog2000

Well, here in the US, at least. He had plenty of #1 albums in the UK. That said, when you look back on the actual US chart numbers for his considerable quality output, it is truly amazing that many of his albums didn't chart higher in the US than they did. Here in the States, Bowie was, as one talk show host refered to him being, "a superstar, yet still a cult artist".

Supermallet

Yes, I meant in the US. Not surprising that he had more success in his home country.

rexinnih

Glad to her Bowie has his first #1 US album.

Troy Stiffler

Still loving this album.

That is all.

VHS?

Blackstar: Album Cover for Latest David Bowie Album Forms Galactic Pattern in Sunlight, Fans Say
So .... anyone try it yet?

Why So Blu?

http://forum.dvdtalk.com/music-talk/...thread-93.html

bluetoast

That's really cool. I don't have the vinyl, but it must have been a nice surprise.