David Bowie Wife, Daughter, Children, Family, Gay, Net Worth, Death, Height

Quick Facts

We can only assume you don’t know who David Bowie was if you don’t belong to this world, the man was everywhere; if his songs were super classic and inspiring, his stage performances were revolutionary, almost always.

Coupled with the fact that Bowie was out to make music that would appeal to literally everyone, there was no stopping him. It wouldn’t be too much an exaggeration to assert that Bowie practically conquered the world music-wise. Hardly will you find anyone eager to dispute this. Should we assume music was Goliath for Bowie, amazing stagecraft was the sling this David used to slew it.

Beyond music, Bowie also had a fantastic acting career. He was as well, an art collector and a painter but he didn’t make extraordinary waves in the field like he did in music. A look at the honour and accolades David Bowie gathered both while he was still with us and in death have always exposed the magnitude of his deeds in the world’s music industry.

Career Accomplishments

Because of his accomplishments, it is common to come across the late musician and actor being regarded as the greatest rock star of all time or named in lists like “100 Greatest Britons.” Even before he passed, he was immortalized in several ways. To cite an instance, a species of huntsman spider was in 2008 named .

Check the records, you will find that Bowie had a global sales of about 140 million records. This saw him receive 9 platinum, 11 gold and 8 silver albums certification in the United Kingdom alone. In the United State of America, he had 5 platinum and 9 gold certification. France had to also acknowledge the man’s immense contributions to the field with it’s prestigious Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. Bowie was handed the highest order (Commander) of the award by the French government. Following his passing in 2016, he received a similar award from the British government. He was honoured posthumously for his enduring impact on British culture with the Brits Icon award.

Among other numerous accolades that David Bowie received are six Grammy Awards, several Brit Awards and a handful of other like the Saturn Award for Best Actor which recognized his performance in the movie industry.

Considering the foregoing, it was only natural Bowie got inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This happened sometime in January 1996. Over a decade later, he was equally listed as a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame.

As one of the world’s best-selling musician of all time, some of his most popular works include “Space Oddity”, “The Man Who Sold The World”, “Diamond Dogs”, “Aladdin Sane”, “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust”, and “Young Americans”. Bowie’s acting career saw him earn more admiration for being Thomas Jerome Newton in “The Man Who Fell to Earth”, Joseph Merrick in “The Elephant Man” and Nikola Tesla in “The Prestige”.

David Bowie Wife, Daughter, Children and Family

The singer built his family from two marriages. His second marriage started in April 1992 after he married Iman, a Somali-American model in a private gathering at the French-speaking city of Switzerland – Lausanne. The couple later duly performed a wedding ceremony in Italy. Several years after the marriage, in August 2000, Bowie and Iman welcomed their only child, a daughter they named Alexandria Zahra Jones.

Before Iman, the musician was married to a model and actress, Mary Angela Barnett. He married her in March 1970 but the union failed to last beyond a decade. The couple fell apart and officially abandoned their marriage in February 1980. However, they had a son together, Duncan Zowie Jones who was born on the 30th day of May 1971. 

Sexual Orientation

It was thought Bowie was straight until he announced sometime in 1972 during an interview that he is gay. about four years later, he confirmed his sexual orientation, declaring that he’s bisexual and asserting it’s one of the best things that has happened to him. If there was any doubt about his sexual attraction, it was cleared when his first wife disclosed that he had a romantic affair with the famous English singer, Mick Jagger.

Bowie would later express that he shouldn’t have announced his sexual orientation to the world. This left many speculating that the man was never truly gay but may have been involved in such kind of affairs out of curiosity.

Bowie’s Passing – The Death of An Icon

Bowie’s death came as a shock to the world. This is so because in about 48 hours after he released his 25th studio album – Blackstar and marked his 69th birth anniversary. Many were reluctant to believe the news about his death until mainstream media reported it.

Apparently, the star was diagnosed with liver cancer 18 months earlier but refused to bother anyone about it. It was a secret until his death which occurred on 10th January 2016.

The moment it was certain Bowie is late, people gathered together across the world, singing his songs and holding impromptu memorial service in the dead man’s honour.

David Bowie’s Net Worth

Your guess is right, Bowie left an enormous wealth behind when he died. It was some weeks after his death that his will had revealed he left a major bulk of his fortune for his wife and kids. Precisely, it circulated that the singer left almost $100 million for his family.

While half of his net worth and his luxury SoHo apartment in New York went to his wife, his two kids got 25 percent of the fortune. Even at death, Bowie was benevolent. He left Corinne Schwab, his assistant $2 million and a nanny identified as Alexandria’s, $1 million.

Height & Quick Facts

Height: The musician was 8 inches taller than 5 feet (1.78 m).

Born: 8 January 1947

Died: 10 January 2016

Cause of Death: Liver Cancer

Marriages:  Mary Angela Barnett (M. 1970, Div. 1980); Iman (M. 1992)

Children: 2 – Duncan Zowie Jones and Alexandria Zahra Jones

Also Read: Top 10 Richest People in the world with full biography and details.