David Bowie never took to believing that modesty and poverty were indicators of good art. He, therefore, ran his career as an empire, expanding its borders and aiming to gain more. The result is a career with amazing achievements.
David Bowie, an artist of fame
David Bowie’s career span decades. Constantly discovered by new generations, he seems to represent everything to everyone. A hippie songwriter, a space rock alien, an icy soul singer, an electronica pioneer. With such a willingness to risk and a desire to create, one could assume Bowie had no interest in career and financial matters. That is, by most accounts, entirely untrue.
Most his contemporaries did not care about being rich. They knew little about the steps needed in building a career. Some created great art and others did not. From the very start, Bowie showed no shame about wanting to be popular, rich and influential. He was a rare example of an artist whose ambition matched his talent.
Poverty did not equal purity in David Bowie’s eyes. And while some of his heroes died poor and forgotten, this was never a road he was willing to take. At the time of his death, Forbes estimated the musician had left $100 million in inheritance to his family. It was believed his net worth at the time of his passing was roughly $230 million. Other sources claim it was more.
Then, in the 1990’s, at a time when he was working on some of his most experimental art, Bowie also embraced the concept of bonds on his work. Investors would be rewarded for the revenue generated by 287 songs that were recorded prior to 1990. He was rewarded with tens of millions of dollars. In his later years, especially, Bowie kept a close eye on business. The musician refused to forget a time when his lack of experience had proved extremely costly.
Relentlessly creative and driven
Many of the most prestigious rock artists make a handful of great albums. Some of them record an album at an average of once a decade. It sometimes takes longer if the payout is simply not likely to be there. During his career, Bowie recorded 25 albums, many of which are considered classics. He was also passioned about film, art and fashion. He created art for mainstream audiences and also worked on avantgarde projects. He worked at a relentless pace.
Bowie remained restless. His ambitions were not merely to get rich. He insisted on trying to reach his full potential. He never stopped experimenting. And while the public’s interest was not always as sharp, he was not discouraged. David Bowie had an appetite for creating art that did not change throughout his life.
David Bowie passed away on 10th of January 2016. Two days prior, he had released what would turn out to be his final studio album, Blackstar. The album was as ambitious in scope as anything the musician had worked on during the peak of his creative strength. Clearly, a lot of work had been put into the album and its presentation. It is now known that Bowie was severely sick at the moment. Even in this time, the musician was preoccupied with his work and the way it would be viewed by the public.
Bowie never settled. The musician demanded a lot of himself and his audience. He also expected to be rewarded for his work and received plenty of this. His growing status did not seem to affect his original vision. He continued to change throughout his career, creating art at a great pace and living an impressive legacy behind him. His ambition was our gift!
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