David Bowie’s birthday was once uneventful, even for fans who never lost faith that the radio-silent Bowie would return and release a new album. Two years ago, on his 66th birthday, Bowie met that faith with the surprise announcement of new music. It would be his first music in 10 years. Fans might therefore be forgiven for marking this day with expectation for new work from the reclusive rock icon.
Bowie Birthday prediction 7: never before has Bowie’s website homepage been hungrily refreshed so often F5 F5F5F5F5F5
— Crayon to Crayon (@CrayonToCrayon) January 7, 2015
Whether or not Bowie chooses to make any public pronouncement, fans took to Twitter to wish him a happy birthday.
Happy birthday to our hero, our Starman, our icon, David Bowie. #HappyBirthdayDavidBowie https://t.co/K2KIaLe6Wm pic.twitter.com/zEekOdtlxI
— HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVID (@GrinningDuchess) January 8, 2015
Bowie birthday on 8th pic.twitter.com/WYVTWi9P2m
— Alexander (@AlecosChristen) January 2, 2015
happy 68th birthday bowie I love you so much! xx pic.twitter.com/XH05ojL58Q
— ? (@JennaSipos) January 8, 2015
Bowie’s official Facebook page posted about Bowie fans in the Ukraine and Russia who produced a flash mob video on the occasion of his birthday. The flash mob video is available on YouTube and received an acknowledgment from Bowie’s wife, Iman Abdulmajid, on Twitter.
We loved it! He thanks u! RT @estrela190 : David Bowie Birthday Message Flashmob2015 from Russian… http://t.co/rCM5fWiwxg
— ImanAbdulmajid(@The_Real_IMAN) January 7, 2015
David Bowie’s birthday comes mere days after the final days of the David Bowie Is exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. Chicagoist reported yesterday that the show proved extremely popular , with 193,000 attendees.
Line of people waiting to buy tickets to the last day of #DavidBowieIs at @mcachicago pic.twitter.com/wwx8c2AVJa
— Jay Gabler(@JayGabler) January 4, 2015
David Bowie released a compilation album, Nothing Has Changed , in November. Pitchfork reviewer Douglas Wolk gave the compilation a generally positive review, in particular the 3-CD version.
“The 3xCD Nothing Has Changed , though, is the jewel among the three variations on the same core material. Its masterstroke is that its 59 tracks appear in reverse chronological order. To end a greatest-hits with ‘Sue’ is to remind listeners that there’s a good moment to hit the stop button. To begin it with ‘Sue’—the longest track on the whole thing—smacks us to attention. This is Bowie as he wants us to encounter him, as a practitioner of fine art whose interests have occasionally, improbably, marvelously intersected with pop of the moment.”
Wolk also noted there is some “curation” in the collection, leaving out well-known hits, eliminating Bowie’s one-time band Tin Machine and acknowledging the Berlin Trilogy with only three songs in total.
On the subject of birthdays, Bowie’s wife Iman turns 60 years old in July.
