LESS IS MORE: May 2011

David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for five decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s, and is known for his distinctive voice and the intellectual depth of his work.

Bowie became famous in July 1969, with his song "Space Oddity". After a three-year period of experimentation he re-emerged in 1972 during the glam rock era with the flamboyant, androgynous alter ego Ziggy Stardust, spearheaded by the hit single "Starman" and the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.

SOME INTERESTING PERSONAL INFO ABOUT DAVID:

What date is David Bowie's birthday?

He was born on Wednesday, 8th January 1947 at 22:59hrs at 40 Stansfield Road, Brixton, London, SW9 9RZ, England. [Street View]

How tall is David?

5 foot 10.5 inches (1m 79).

When did David Jones officially change his stage name to David Bowie?

On September 16th 1965, David Jones officially changed his stage name to 'David Bowie'.

He chose the name 'Bowie' because it was "the ultimate American knife. It is the medium for a conglomerate of statements and illusions."

The main reason for the change of stage name was because of the emerging fame of Davy Jones on the London theatre stage, who later became the lead singer of The Monkees.

Does David have any brothers or sisters?

Two half sisters Annette and Myra Ann and one half brother Terence.

Is David married?

David is married to Iman Abdul Majid. They married in Switzerland on April 24th 1992 at Lausanne registrar office with a civil ceremony.

David's first marriage was to Mary Angela Barnett on 19th March 1970 at Bromley Registry Office in Beckenham Lane, Kent. They divorced in Switzerland on 8th February 1980.

How many children has David got?

David has two children, Duncan and Alexandria.

Where does David live?

David and Iman live in New York City.

Why has David got odd looking eyes?

He has a condition called anisocoria, which is the medical term for unequal pupils. In 1962, aged 14, he got punched in the eye by his schoolfriend George Underwood, during an argument over a girl named Carol Goldsmith. George's fingernail caught David's eye and dislodged something. David was admitted to Farnborough Hospital, where it was found that the sphincter muscles of his left eye were badly torn and he underwent two eye operations. He has an enlarged pupil that remains permanently open, giving them an unusual appearance.

Contrary to popular belief David DOESN'T have two different coloured eyes - they are both the same colour. The enlarged pupil only gives the "effect" of two different coloured eyes.

David and George are to this day still life-long friends. George played in early Bowie groups and eventually became a commercial artist. He was involved in the design of the album sleeves for Hunky Dory (1971), The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars (1972) albums/posters/flyers, graphics for The 1980 Floor Show and The Man Who Fell To Earth book cover.

Has David got any tattoos?

David has one tattoo on the back of his left calf which depicts a dolphin and a Japanese variation of the Serenity prayer among the content, it portrays a man riding a dolphin with his left hand extended with a little frog, along with a personal Japanese (Kanji) inscription.

David drew the artwork himself and had a Japanese tattooist ink it for him and also translate the prayer into Katakana. David says he had the tattoo done "as a confirmation of the love I feel for my wife and my knowledge of the power of life itself."