The story of how David Bowie's search for meaning inspired him to write the music that defined
a generation. In this wide-ranging biography Peter Ormerod explores the quest for
spirituality that powered David Bowie's creativity from his earliest recordings to his
death-defying final album. Bowie's genre-expanding era-crossing genius had an extraordinary
impact on popular culture but his life-long search for spiritual truth and enlightenment has
been overlooked. From Bowie's first musical encounters as a choirboy this book traces his
spiritual obsessions over the years. As a young musician at the start of his career he was
enraptured by Tibetan Buddhism. It was the first step in a spiritual journey that would
generate his most profound lyrics and music. From the Kabbalah-influenced tracks of Station to
Station to Ziggy Stardust's messiah complex and the profound affinity between Heroes and
Christian thought Ormerod sheds new light on the spiritual traditions behind Bowie's genius.
Taking Bowie's spiritual explorations and faith seriously Ormerod shows us how this quest for
meaning propelled him through his darkest moments and biggest successes lending his music a
timelessness and depth that has spoken to so many people across the world. Whether experiencing
a dark night of the soul in LA during his occult phase or reciting the Lord's prayer in front
of thousands of concertgoers Bowie was always searching for that universal truth that lies
beyond everyday reality.
