I love that scene in ‘The Man Who Fell to Earth’ where he’s just surrounded by TVs.

In one of the final scenes of the ‘Labyrinth,’ Sarah is able to break Jareth the Goblin King’s spell through the realization that he has no power over her. David Bowie’s face after she does that is the picture of disappointment.

Nirvana’s ‘MTV Unplugged in New York’ was released soon after Kurt Cobain’s death and functioned in many ways like a shared memorial, receiving heavy airtime on radio stations. Though I was young when it was released, I won’t admit how much later it was when I discovered that ‘The Man Who Sold the World’ was, of course, by David Bowie. That discovery sent me into the Bowie universe.

Unfortunately, I grew up without Bowie’s influence. When I think of David Bowie, I think of ‘Zoolander’; Bowie cooly ripping off his sunglasses, ‘Let’s Dance’ playing in the background. His ability to show up exactly where he is needed, at exactly the right time, is unparalleled.