David Bowie, Televisionary From chatting with Dick Cavett to his career-rEjuvenating videos on a new venture called l\lTV, he unabashedly embraced the massest ofmediums BY ROB TANNENBAUM

N 1967, WHEN DAVID "You seem like a working delighted laugh. "Then there Bowie was a scuffling actor," as Bowie chuckled, was a hell of a row. People 2.0-year-old folk singer, knowing it was true), and said it was obscene." he got his first letter lip-synced his breakthrough It wasn't radio or movies from an American fan hits "Fame" and "Golden that finally made Bowie a andI sent a thoughtful reply. Years" on Soul Train. global superstar, but TV. "I made my first movie last On TV, he could shift gears His 1983 album Let's Dance, week," he wrote. "Just a and guises with ease: On the produced by Chic guitarist 15-minute short, but it gave 1977 special Bing Crosl_v's Nile Rodgers, spawned three me some good experience Merrie Olde Christmas, Bowie hit songs and videos: the for a full-length deal I have sang a melancholy carol title track (his first U.S. No. 1 starting in January." Even with Crosby, a 73-year-old single since "Fame"), "China before he had secured a crooner who died a month Girl" and "Modem Love."

foothold in one medium, he later. ("I'm doing this show At Live Aid in July 19851 his was planning his conquest because my mother loves greatest-hits set was one of of others." I was trying to be Bing Crosby," he told the the broadcast's emotional a one-man revolution," he show's writers.) Two years highlights, though during later said. later, as the music guest on the show he also debuted Bowie was an enthusiast Saturdc._1• Night Live, he sang the video to "Dancing in the who loved to disclose and "TVC15" in a severe pencil Streets," a duet with Mick champion his interests: skirt while downtown New Jagger that comprised the Andy Warhol, German York artistes Klaus Nomi and ludicrous low point of his Expressionism, The Velvet Joey Arias chirped grandly years at the top. Bowie soon Underground, wallpaper, and posed behind him, next decided he hated being in Neu, cocaine, mime, to a pink stuffed poodle. the mainstream and formed androgyny, George Orwell, When MTV launched in the abrasive hard-rock band

Scott Walker, Philly soul, 1981 1 pop culture had finally Tin Machine, he said, to Genet, henna, Brecht, Fritz caught up to Bowie, who had scare away the Phil Collins Lang, William S. Burroughs, been making music videos fans who were coming to his Alexander McQueen, for years. He even shilled for arena concerts. saxophones, Mott the the network, as part of its" I "Sponge" is a word Hoople, Anthony Burgess, Want My MTV" marketing that intimates often use women, men, the Internet. campaign, though once he to describe him. "I was He wanted as many canvases noticed that the network endeavoring to teach him to as possible, and he was wasn't playing videos by astonish," said Lindsay Kemp, unabashedly strategic about black artists, he chided it the British thespian with the broadest, most mass while VJ Mark Goodman whom Bowie studied. "He medium of all: TV. tried to interview him. was like a sponge." And Arias, When he sang "Starman" "Anything new and Bowie's SNL collaborator, on the British prime-time exciting artistically, he was recently said, "He was like show Tc,p cfthe Pc,ps in 1972., always at the forefront of this force, this sponge, that wearing a garish Lycra it," says David Mallet, who absorbed it all." jumpsuit, and casually put directed more than a dozen Even Bowie saw this. "I his arm around the shoulder Bowie videos, including "DJ," am he who quotes, I am the ofguitarist Mick Ronson six "Fashion" and "Ashes to sponge that absorbs," he said months after announcing his Ashes." In the clip for "Boys in one of his last interviews. bisexuality, he set loose the Keep Swinging," Bowie Part of Bowie's genius was possibility that gay culture mimes the song onstage in a an ability to infiltrate culture might not always remain suit until the chorus, when he with fringe ideas that quickly illicit. That small gesture, a suddenly appears in drag as spread into the mainstream. generation now agrees, was three backup singers. "The In contrast to his cool a huge moment for gay lib in BBC watched the first 2.0 facade, he was a gifted the United Kingdom. seconds and said, 'Nice to see smuggler who popularized In the next few years, he him doing something proper trends - in music, movies, duetted with Cher on her for once,' then put it on the fashion and TV - through CBS variety show, gabbed air at teatime on a Saturday," the virtue of his own heated with Dick Cavett (who said, Mallet recalls with a enthusiasm. 0