David Bowie was a trailblazer, one-of-a-kind, a literal legend. He released his final album, Blackstar, on his 69th birthday two days before his death. My favorite thing about David Bowie is the stories of his life--many of which seem too incredible, too weird, too unbelievable, to be true.
Some of the Bowie stories show he was rebellious and went against the grain his entire life. Fame didn't change him--it gave him a platform to be himself. His multicolor eyes was not a birth-defect or colored contacts. His permenantly dialated pupil was from when he was punched in the face as a teen. The boy who threw the punch was a close friend of Bowie's and created the album art for Hunky Dory, Space Oddity, and The Rise & Fall of Ziggy Stardust.
One of the most imfamous concepts surrounding Bowie was that of multiple personas. While he had some lesser-known ones (such as The Think White Duke), his most impactful one was Ziggy Stardust. He was inspired to name this new persona after a tailor shop he saw from the window of a train. It quickly became a fan favorite--an ultrasexual, alien-like being that did things Bowie claimed he would never do as David. The persona was built off Bowie's interest in British rock-star Vince Taylor who, after drugs caused him to have an emotional breakdown, joined a cult and came to believe he was an alien god. Bowie chose to be himself through his personas, even with the criticism he faced, an extreme example of inspiration for being your own person.
Like many of the greats, Bowie had his struggles. Yet, he did not try to abandon them: he confronted them proudly, one of the reasons he has become an inspiration to many. Doctors and psychologists theorize that--if Bowie had gone to be diagnosed--he would have likely been diagnosed as a schizophrenic. This, coupled with his drug-addiction and struggle to come to terms with his sexuality, led a man like him to do crazy things. He stored his urine in his fridge for a period of time (during the Ziggy Stardust phase, of course) so that "no wizard could use it against" him. He came out as gay, then four years later as bisexual to playboy, and then 7 years later spoke on how hard it was for him to realize himself as a "closeted homosexual" to Rolling Stone. Hearing someone in Bowie's position speak on their struggles with sexuality, mental illness, and addiction is powerful for many people who face similar pains in their daily lives.