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DAVID ROBERT JONES is an interesting person, don’t you think?
Never heard of him?
Are you sure?
He’s been going by the name David Bowie for some time now, so we’ll give you a pass.
David Bowie (aka Ziggy Stardust aka The Thin White Duke aka Aladdin Sane…) has been making music for over 50 years. To mark the release of his new album Blackstar, and to celebrate his 69th birthday on 8 January, we’ve selected a round-up of what he was doing at key points during his life.
No pressure – but what were you doing at the same age?
Little David got quite the reputation as a youngster at school. Not only was he considered gifted – he got a rep as a bit of a fighter.
When he was 15, David was punched in the eye by his friend and doctors feared he would lose the sight in that eye. They were able to save it but he still has problems with depth perception and a permanently dilated pupil. He could also play the ukulele, tea-chest bass and saxophone by this age, and formed his first band – The Konrads.
Not wanting to be confused with Davy Jones of The Monkees, David changed his name to David Bowie after Jim Bowie, the American frontiersman.
After releasing his first album at age 20, he landed into the top five just two years later with a little song called Space Oddity. It was released five days before the Apollo 11 launch in 1969.
David married his first wife Angie Barnett. At the tender age of 24, he had his first child with her, named Duncan Zowie Bowie. (You might know him as a director of films such as Moon.)
Ziggy Stardust is one of Bowie’s most infamous characters. With the birth of this eye-catching glam persona, David released his fifth studio album - The Rise and fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.
The next of Bowie’s alter egos appears – with his 1976 album Station to Station. The character was actually an extension of the alien he played in The Man Who Fell To Earth. (With the 1974 release of Diamond Dogs
After his Berlin period in 1976-79 (which gave the world the album Low and the single Heroes), Bowie moved into a more new wave and pop era, teaming up with Queen for this belter. This is also around the time you’d have seen him as the bleach blonde opening narrator for Christmas classic The Snowman.
And gave children all over the world nightmares. The next year, 1987, he brought his Glass Spider Tour to Slane in Meath. (Let us know in the comments if you were lucky enough to be there and have any memories of the gig.)
In his mid forties, Bowie married Somalian model Iman. The couple are still together to this day.
Bowie broke the mould in 1997 by releasing an internet-only single called Telling Lies. It would have taken around 11 minutes to download using dial-up. Pretty niche at the time, but also amazingly prescient when you think about it. (The song also has drum and bass undertones, which is very of its time.)
But he turned her down. No Sir Bowie for you, we’re afraid. He told The Sun newspaper: “I would never have any intention of accepting anything like that.”
He also portrayed Nikolai Tesla in the Christopher Nolan movie The Prestige. (That one with the magicians and the big twist.)
Not only that, but he’s currently collaborating with Irish playwright Enda Walsh on a musical play entitled Lazarus. So, like we said – he’s been busy alright.
Music legend David Bowie’s 28th album Blackstar is in Irish stores right now. So if you fancy previewing the new album, head over to iTunes now and check it out.
And now to find how you compare to David Bowie’s epic timeline… Click the button below and enter your age to find out.
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What a negative headline!There is a lot of good news in this article,reflecting the hard work done in these DEIS schools.But of course the headline just addresses the negative part!
Headline also suggests that living in an urban area is universally detrimental to educational attainment when in fact the article only refers to urban deis schools and as ailish pointed out above, the article highlights significant improvements in English and maths within those schools.
Sorry, as Aileen pointed out.
Typo in headline
“Urban pupils are more worser* at English and maths”
A neighbour of mine would tell you he supplies food to the canteen in one of these Deis school. He tell you nothing best is supplied. No expense is spared apparently. Even fizzy drinks is supplied on occasion. Compare this to where my children go to school in a small country school. The only food they get is what we send them with them in their lunchbox. Who the worst off and there was me thinking all children are suspose to be treated equally under the constitution.
Sure when I went to school we got nothing at all, walked there barefoot at 6 in the morning. Would be lucky to grab a mouthful of chalk dust at lunch time. We got some learnin’ done
“Mouthful of chalk dust”
I cried laughing after reading that.
What’s that got to do with reading?
Parental income has much less to do with the standard of education a child recieves than parental involvement. How many of the kids struggling to read do you think have a parent that reads to them? Its time for these parents to take responsibility for their kids.
The 22:1 ratio is an error in the article. This only applies up to first or second class I believe after which the 22:1 ratio is classed as a desirable ratio but not enforceable. As such you can have classes(3rd,4th,5th,6th)in Deis I schools with 23-36 children in them.
Are Ya bleedin jokin me ?
I don’t think he is langer boyyyyyy.
That’s why so many country folk are the dubs bosses in the city.as the old saying goes …what does a dub call a country person at work????
Boss
Plenty of jobs at the Journal for the ones who have spelling difficulties in the future.
Worser…….is this a word???
Used to be in the 16th century
Think it’s supposed to be play on words Claire!!
I went to a rural DEIS primary school, our class size was 33-37.
These ratios are a new enough rule.
I went to a deis school in rural Ireland, I did ok but it was an uphill battle, the school was underfunded and understaffed. chronic unemployment/underemployment means children in disadvantaged areas are less motivated as it is unlikely they will have the money for third level even if they get the grades.
generational poverty also causes a lot of these problems, its called a poverty trap for a reason
We live in a city and drive our daughter six miles out the road to go to school. A bit of a trek and hits the pocket a bit more. But smaller classes, a higher standard or education, and you know that the child is mixing with people of good stock.
“Mixing with people of good stock” that comment says a lot about you as a person. Hopefully your children won’t grow up with such a ridiculous attitude.
All education correspondents seem to take for granted that the DES claim that literacy and numeracy levels have risen due to its campaign of recent years is valid. There is insufficient evidence supporting this claim.
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