Seeing the music superstar tie the knot with one of the world’s most recognized supermodels was just part of the package for many fans.
But Bowie’s relationship with Iman Abdulmajid was very private, which is presumably why it lasted so long. Their wedding in 1992 looked like a match made in heaven.
Perfect Timing
Bowie first released his famous single Space Oddity on July 11, 1969. Timing turned out to be nothing short of perfect — nine days after it was released, the BBC used the song when they covered Apollo 11’s lunar landing. The hit ended up being Bowie’s first major success in the UK.
The song was inspired by the film "A Space Odyssey," which is about a fictional astronaut, Major Tom, and his launch into space. In 2013, the song saw renewed popularity when Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield performed the song aboard the International Space Station, which was the first music video ever shot in space!
Forward- Thinking
Not only was Bowie considered innovative and forward-thinking when it came to his music, but he also envisioned the potential surge of the internet. In 1999, he discussed the latest invention known as the “worldwide web” with Jeremy Paxman of the BBC. Paxman proposed that the internet’s potential was being “hugely exaggerated.”
Bowie promptly made it clear that he disagreed with him, saying how he was embracing the idea “that there’s a new demystification method between the artist and audience.”
Some Confusion
Many people were confused by Bowie when it came to his love life. He declared he was homosexual in an interview in 1972 during his debut as Ziggy Stardust. According to the author David Buckley, if Ziggy succeeded in confusing his audience, a big part of it centered on the topic of his sexual preferences.
Before Iman, David Bowie was married to Mary Angela Barnett. They had an open marriage, and she fully supported his claim of bisexuality and affirmed that Bowie even had a relationship with Mick Jagger.
His Big Mistake
To add to the confusion, Bowie told 'Rolling Stone' in 1983, that his public declaration of bisexuality turned out to be “the biggest mistake I ever made.” Bowie then appended that he was always a “closet heterosexual.”
Bowie stated that he had no issue with people thinking that he was bisexual. But he also didn’t want to hold any flags or be a representative for other groups. All he wanted was to be a songwriter and musician – he didn’t appreciate being pigeonholed into a category.