Stardust: The David Bowie Story

by Henry Edwards, Tony Zanetta

interesting biog

Genres: Music, Biography, Nonfiction, Biography Memoir

Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

musketry instructor

Reviews

[Mariel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this one in high school as research for my school report on Bowie. I still love that I got away with doing that for English class. The queen bitches were doing theirs on prettiest stars and sweet things ('cept my twin who did hers on why Prince Charles was worthless). We were limited to what the school library had so the lazy teacher could lazily check we weren't plagiarizing (if they knew anything about classic rock, they'd have known their students ripped off Rush and Van Halen right and left). Yeah, it wasn't one of the more insightful or knowledgeable sources out there, I recall. It was also written in the '80s which was the "dark times" of the Bowie years. (I should've said not the "Golden Years". Argh!) Lots of "He's not gay!" backtracking from the embracing bisexuality of the '70s. I could care less about selling out (if you have to sell it...) and stunts. I defy anyone to listen to songs like "Life on Mars" and not know him. He's there when you're hitting your all-time lows. Maybe he let us down with "Never Let Me Down" (he let himself down, more like it) but who cares? It's not what have you done for me lately. At least, it shouldn't be.

I shouldn't review books I don't really remember. I do remember that secondhand Bowie mythology memories from my mom were much more fun to listen to than this was to read. Legends about the legend of past, present and future. That was my lame Bowie referencing of "Future Legend", which was my favorite Bowie song aged 16. I wanted to name my band if I ever had one that. Years later another local band named their band "Future Legend". Copied me? As if anyone listened to me. So I'd probably only get this again if I saw it for cheap in a book fair and nostalgia overcomes me (not that I'd be nostalgic for high school. I meant for Bowie). All you really need to sell me a Bowie book is a cool cover. I think I like the Ziggy Stardust look best, although in high school I did dress up as the Thin White Duke for a day (no wonder nearly everyone hated me). Bowie as a fashion Barbie doll. :) I loved that scene in Velvet Goldmine with the little girls making their Brian (Bowie) and Curt (Iggy Pop) dolls make out. That was sooooo me and my Bowie Barbies.

[Edwina Book Anaconda · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I was expecting: Sex, drugs & rock-n-roll.
What I wasn't expecting: "An underground witchcraft cult", a haunted house, his claim to have fathered the Anti-Christ, Aleister Crowley, David telling Jimmy Page to commit suicide, an Exorcism.
I could go on ... but, I won't.
You'll have to read it for yourself.
Prepare to have your mind blown!

[Stargazer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not too bothered about people's opinions on Bowie so it didn't rankle me too much, tho i did a double-take at TMWFTE being called James Newton and Bolan's track called Ride A Pink Swan.

[Chris O'leary · Rating 3 out of 5]

the most frustrating of all DB bios. Lurid as all hell---if you want a play-by-play description of Bowie's sex life in the 60s and 70s, here's your book. Also sometimes woefully inaccurate and its prose is dreadful: it reads like the world's longest People magazine article.

But when we get to the MainMain years, esp. the chaotic period between 1972-1976, it's the goods. Zanetta was the head of MainMan, and he digs into the money, the players and the general corporate insanity of the period. Every other Bowie bio has to use this as a source.

After '76 it's pretty much done, and should have stopped there. Instead it limps into the 80s with nothing to say.

[Scott Holstad · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book really ruined my views on a longtime musical hero in Bowie. Talk about disillusioning! The authors have an ax to grind, that's for sure. Bowie is relentlessly described as a mere child who constantly needs mothering, fathering, who throws tantrums and has crying fits, who was a horrible failure for many years before Ziggy, who actually was NOT innovative, but was actually always trying to catch up with where others had gone on before, who benefited only because his wife and some gay friends got him to go with the Ziggy look, who threw people away when he was done with them, etc., etc. I just couldn't finish this book. I want to take the authors out back and beat the shit out of them for butchering Bowie so much in my eyes. Now I'll never be able to look at him the same way again, and that's a real shame.

[Vivacia K. Ahwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

All-time favorite Rock&Roll tell-all, though as a Bowie geek was a bit biased. Read it when I was 13, so the description of Ziggy's "long, weighty penis swinging like a pendulum on a grandfather clock" stuck with me. I'm pretty sure that's what the line was. I did go back to that paragraph nearly as many times as I hit PAUSE on the VCR any time the camera dropped to Jareth's breeches in Labyrinth.

[Robin Martin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a genre I enjoy reading because of my fascination with musicians (okay, sex, drugs and rock and roll) and interest in the music business. This book, co-authored by (apparently bitter and rejected) early-years Bowie companion Tony Zanetta, has some interesting moments, a few really odd and wonderful observations, a good amount of sex, drugs, and music history, but overall comes across as a bio published merely to capitalize on the surging fame of its subject.

[Meiya · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Bowie is my #1 favorite artist, so you know I read this when I was a kid. I went through a period in my teenage years when I devoured every book I could find about my favorite bands and music genres.

[Linda Denny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a pretty good biography. I wouldn't say that the writing was all that interesting, but as a David Bowie fan, it was fun to read about his life...his complicated life.

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

somewhat good book, noticed a few typos.