Summary
Highlights
By the late 1970s, David and Angela's relationship deteriorated due to fame, addiction, and emotional distance. David's cocaine use became severe, leading him to an erratic state. In 1976, he moved to West Berlin to escape his demons, where Angela felt increasingly marginalized by his new circle, including Koko Schwab. Angela issued an ultimatum, but David chose his new life, leading to their divorce in 1980. Angela received a financial settlement and a gag order, and controversially surrendered custody of their son, Duncan (Zowie), believing it would ground David. David, in turn, erased Angela from his public narrative, portraying their marriage as tumultuous.
In 1990, Angela Bowie, after a decade of silence, returned to the spotlight on the Joan Rivers show, revealing bombshells about her marriage to David Bowie, including his alleged affair with Mick Jagger. This segment sets the stage for a deeper dive into Angela's critical, yet often uncredited, role as the co-architect of David Bowie's iconic personas and fame, particularly Ziggy Stardust. It promises a story not of infidelity, but of artistic invention, and how Angela was eventually erased from the myth she helped create.
This part details the individual backgrounds of Angela Barnett and David Robert Jones before they met. Angela, born in 1949, had a transient childhood and was expelled from college for a romantic relationship with a female student, marking her as defiant and unconventional. She moved to London, immersing herself in the city's revolutionary culture. David, born in 1947, grew up in industrial Brixton and Bromley, seeking to escape silence and pursuing various artistic expressions from Buddhism to mime, driven by a desire for reinvention. Both were restless, defiant souls circling London's underground art scene, poised for a collision that would define an era.
Before they became a spectacle, Angela and David were seekers building their identities. Angela, a brash American in London, deeply involved in Soho's art scene, was ambitious and refused to be ignored, even applying for jobs at record labels. David, though talented, was still finding his voice, having little success with early singles. He had already changed his name from David Jones to Bowie and co-founded the Beckenham Arts Lab, a hub for experimental performances. The release of 'Space Oddity' in July 1969 launched him into the UK top five, setting the stage for their eventual meeting and collaboration that would transform both their lives.
Angela and David first met backstage in 1969, romantically involved with the same Mercury Records scout. Despite David's initial disinterest, Angela recognized his potential. She ensured he got signed to Mercury and pushed him into the spotlight. They married in 1970 for practical and conceptual reasons, agreeing to an open and unconventional marriage. Their home, Haddon Hall, became a creative laboratory where the Ziggy Stardust persona was born. They had a son, Duncan (Zowie), and cultivated an androgynous aesthetic that captivated the media. By 1974, however, their relationship began to crack under the pressure of fame and addiction, leading to their eventual separation.
In 1972, Ziggy Stardust exploded onto the scene as a glam rock alien, transforming David Bowie into an icon. Angela Bowie was instrumental in this transformation, actively participating in the creation of Ziggy's look and persona. From pushing David to wear dresses for album covers to co-creating his flaming red mullet and dramatic makeup, Angela was the driving force behind Ziggy's visual identity. She literally sewed the first Ziggy costume and constantly encouraged David to embrace the 'too much' aesthetic. Her influence was recognized even by Bowie's inner circle, establishing her as the essential spark behind the stardust.
Following their divorce in 1980, David Bowie and Angela's lives diverged dramatically. David embarked on a successful career reinvention, releasing hit albums like 'Scary Monsters' and 'Let's Dance,' conquering cinema, and eventually marrying Iman, with whom he had a daughter. He continued to innovate until his death in 2016. Angela, on the other hand, faced a harder path, feeling exiled and battling depression. She had a daughter, Staka, with punk musician Drew Blood and later settled in Georgia with Michael Gasset. In 1993, she published her controversial memoir, 'Backstage Passes,' and continued to write on sexuality. Her relationship with her son Duncan remained fractured, underscoring the personal cost of their shared, intense past.
The marriage of David and Angela Bowie was unconventional from the start, characterized by an open agreement and shared bisexuality. Angela's memoir, 'Backstage Passes,' exposed their tumultuous private life, including a reported threesome the night before their wedding and numerous affairs. The most sensational revelation came in 1990 when Angela claimed to have caught David Bowie and Mick Jagger naked in bed. While controversial, these stories painted a picture of a marriage driven by performance, rebellion, and a deliberate blurring of boundaries. Angela also detailed the lack of emotional intimacy, portraying David as emotionally elusive and promiscuous, fostering a marriage that was transactional rather than romantic, yet vital in shaping their public image.
David Bowie's legacy is immense, spanning five decades of musical and cultural transformation. He sold over 140 million records, created dozens of personas, and influenced countless artists, becoming a global icon who redefined identity and gender norms. His death in 2016 marked an eclipse, leaving behind a timeless body of work. Angela Bowie's legacy, though more complex, is equally vital. She never achieved the same fame but was crucial in daring Ziggy Stardust into existence, styling his look, and encouraging his gender fluidity. Her memoir offered a raw, unfiltered look into the glam rock era, and she became a voice for sexual freedom. While her relationship with her son remains unresolved, Angela's name is inextricably linked to the myth of Bowie, demonstrating how two individuals, one a star and the other a spark, collectively challenged norms and redefined what it meant to be seen.