Today like many others, I was saddened to hear the news that David Bowie passed away yesterday from liver cancer. He was not only an innovative and influential rock star but a hero to generations of alienated youth. Bowie’s otherworldly presence elevated films he starred in such as The Man Who Fell to Earth, The Hunger, Labyrinth, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, and The Prestige while his music was the soundtrack to iconic scenes in films as diverse as Cat People, Christiane F., The Falcon and the Snowman, When the Wind Blows, The Night is Young (aka Bad Blood, Mauvais Sang), The Lost Highway, The Martian, and countless others. David Bowie was a one-of-a-kind artist and will truly be missed.
The video for the title track of Blackstar, his final album which was released on Bowie’s 69th birthday three days ago.
After the Crash 
As a rock journalist I called David Bowie the necessary condiment for good albums. Iggy Pop and T Rex are perfect examples of the Bowie touch bringing out the best in others. We don’t see collaboration anymore, not like that. Egos in the way. Yes, Bowie said incredibly racist things and in 1980s wanted fascism. He wasn’t political at all. He blamed it later on cocaine, the yuppie Wall Street drug. He was part of that mindset. But he did make being bi-curious okay.