David Bowie's Legacy6 years agoDuration 13:41Our special panel takes a deeper look at David Bowie's impact on music and culture. 13:41 Bowie shot to fame in Britain in 1969 with Space Oddity, the lyrics of which he said were inspired by watching Stanley Kubrick's film 2001: A Space Odyssey while stoned. But it was his portrayal of the character Ziggy Stardust, a doomed bisexual rock envoy from space from the eponymous song on the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars that propelled Bowie to global stardom beginning in 1972. The deal for his catalogue is the latest in the media rights sector, where companies have sought to boost royalties by purchasing artists' catalogues after the pandemic hit physical revenue streams and delayed the release of new recordings. Warner Music, home to musicians such as Cardi B, Ed Sheeran and Bruno Mars, has also partnered with pop star Madonna to relaunch her entire catalog over the next few years. News of the deal comes days before what would have been Bowie's 75th birthday on Jan. 8.
