Had he lived, David Bowie would have turned 79 on January 8, 2026. Sadly, the influential British rock icon died on January 10, 2016, from liver cancer two days after the release of his final studio album, Blackstar, on his 69th birthday.
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Bowie was famous for constantly pushing boundaries, with his various music explorations, his embrace of androgyny and sexual fluidity, his frequently changing personas, his innovative fashion sense, and more.
Not surprisingly, Bowie made some unforgettable appearances on TV shows at various points in his career. In commemoration of Bowie’s birthday, here’s a look at four times he delivered memorable performances on television:
“Starman” – Top of the Pops (1972)
Bowie’s July 1972 appearance on the U.K. TV show Top of the Pops, helped propel him to stardom. David, joined by the members of his then-current backing band The Spiders from Mars, performed “Starman,” the lead single of his classic 1972 glam-rock album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.
Bowie appeared in his Ziggy Stardust space-alien rock star, donning a bright-red shag hairstyle and a colorful jumpsuit. During the song, David affectionately put his arm around guitarist Mick Ronson, which some considered to be scandalous at the time.
The performance featured Bowie singing live to a pre-recorded backing track.
Many famous musicians cite the performance as influential and inspirational to their own musical journeys, including U2’s Bono, The Cure’s Robert Smith, Boy George, Adam Ant, The Clash’s Mick Jones, The Smiths’ Morrissey and Johnny Marr, Siouxsie Sioux, Duran Duran’s John Taylor and Nick Rhodes, and many others.
“Golden Years” and “Fame” – Soul Train (1975)
By the mid-1970s, Bowie’s music began to heavily incorporate the influence of American soul and funk. Some of his biggest U.S. singles of the 1970s were the chart-topping “Fame” and No. 10 hit “Golden Years,” danceable tunes that appeared, respectively, on his albums Young Americans (1975) and Station to Station (1976).
In November 1975, David appeared on the popular U.S. music-and-dance show Soul Train, which mostly showcased Black artists. Bowie became one of the first major white artists to appear on the program.
During his appearance, David answered some questions from host Don Cornelius and audience members. He then mimed his then-latest single, “Golden Years,” followed by “Fame.” The latter tune had recently become Bowie’s first single to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
“Little Drummer Boy”/“Peace on Earth” (Duet with Bing Crosby) – Bing Crosby’s Merrie Olde Christmas (1977)
Perhaps one of Bowie’s oddest and unexpected TV appearances came in 1977, when he was featured as a guest on Bing Crosby’s Merrie Olde Christmas, a holiday special hosted by the legendary American crooner.
David’s appearance began with a scripted scene in which he shows up at a neighbor’s stately mansion looking to play his piano. Crosby, who is visiting the home during Christmastime, lets Bowie in, and the two proceed to have a pleasant chat about the holidays. They eventually decide to sing a duet on “The Little Drummer Boy.”
The performance also features Bowie singing a song called “Peace on Earth” as a counter-melody to “The Little Drummer Boy.” “Peace on Earth” was co-written and the special’s music director specifically for the show, because David felt he wanted to sing something more modern and contemplative rather than just the traditional “Little Drummer Boy.”
The duet beautifully brought together two musical eras, and the performance has become a holiday classic. Crosby died just a month after the scene was filmed, and his special aired posthumously in the U.S. in late November 1977.
“The Man Who Sold the World,” “TVC 15,” and “Boys Keep Swinging” – Saturday Night Live (1979)
On December 15, 1979, Bowie made his first of four appearances as a musical guest on Saturday Night Live. David performed three songs from various periods of his career, accompanied by flamboyant backing singers Klaus Nomi and Joey Arias.
Bowie’s first song was his 1970 gem “The Man Who Sold the World.” David was dressed in a cartoonish, tuxedo-like outfit that featured a tapered, one-piece bottom section that apparently made it impossible for him to move his legs.
At the beginning of the performance, Bowie stood near the back of the stage, and Arias and Nomi lifted him by either arm and brought him up to the mic. At the end of the song, the two backing singers brought Bowie back to his original spot on the stage.
The second tune was “TVC15,” from Bowie’s 1976 album Station to Station. For that performance, David wore a navy blue suit featuring a skirt rather than pants. Bowie was accompanied onstage by a stuffed pink poodle with a black-and-white TV screen for a mouth.
Bowie’s final song was a rendition of his 1979 single “Boys Keep Swinging,” from his then-latest studio album, Lodger. The performance featured special effects that placed David’s head on the body of a puppet that resembled a character from Pee-Wee’s Playhouse. At the end of the song, eagle-eyed viewers may have noticed an inappropriate phallus-like party blower that popped up from out of the puppet’s trousers.
(Photo by Screen Archives/Getty Images)
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