David Bowie’s storied career in numbers

David Bowie was one of those truly unique artists that don't come along very often. From his early days on the music scene, the spirited Brit marched to the beat of his own drum and inspired millions to do the same. Throughout his 40-plus-year career, the London native pushed boundaries, carved out his own sound, sold millions of records and delivered hit after hit to his millions of glam-rock fans. Here, we look back at David’s storied career by the numbers. <p>Photo: © Getty Images</p>
<b>1</b> GRAMMY Award: It’s hard to believe that after such a remarkable career brimming with beloved singles the rock icon only scooped up one trophy at the GRAMMY Awards. In 1985, David won Best Video, Short Form for Jazzin’ for Blue Jean, a 20-minute short film inspired by the song “Blue Jean.” Still, the GRAMMYs recognized the positive and influential impact the singer made to music and awarded him a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006. <p>Photo: © Getty Images</p>
<strong>2</strong> inductions: David was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996 but it was Madonna who was on hand to accept the award. “Before I saw David Bowie live, I was your normal, dysfunctional, rebellious teenager from the Midwest and he truly changed my life,” said the singer during a passionate speech. In 2013, the “Space Oddity” singer took his place in the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame for his influence and achievements in both the science fiction and fantasy genres. <p>Photo: © twitter.com/madonna</p>
<b>140-million</b> records sold: It’s estimated that since the release of his first album David Bowie in 1967, the London native has sold more than 140-million records. <p>Photo: © Rex</p>
More than <b>30</b> acting credits: Since 1967, David's love of theatrics spilled into film and television. He acted in more than 30 projects including the 1986 adventure fantasy film <i>Labyrinth</i> starring Jennifer Connelly. <p>Photo: © Sony Pictures</p>
<b>25</b> studio albums: The singer produced 25 albums in the span of 40 years. The release of his last record, <i>Blackstar</i>, fell on his 69th birthday on Jan. 8, 2016, just days before his untimely death. <p>Photo: © instagram.com/davidbowie</p>
<b>111</b> singles: The man behind Ziggy Stardust never slowed down. Since the debut of his first track “Liza Jane/Louie, Louie Go Home” on June 5 1964, David has released a total of 111 singles. Some of his most memorable hits include: “Space Oddity,” “Changes” and the John Lennon-penned tune “Fame.” <p>Photo: © Rex</p>
<b>2</b> honours turned down: The Queen named David Bowie to her exclusive club of Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2000, but the singer declined the recognition. “I seriously don’t know what it’s for,” he was reported as saying when asked to explain why he turned down the honour. It comes as no surprise that when the Queen came calling again in 2003, this time with a Knighthood, David kindly said no thank you. <p>Photo: © Getty Images</p>
More than <b>40</b> music videos: David infused his videos with creativity and originality. He also used the medium as a way to pay homage to some of his favourite films like <i>A Clockwork Orange,</i> which he paid tribute to in the Mark Romanek-directed video for "Jump They Say." Some of his most famous music videos include: "Let's Dance," "Ashes to Ashes," "Life on Mars" and "The Heart's Filthy Lesson."
© 2001-2021, HELLO! - All rights reserved