For the non-fans of Ziggy Stardust out there: No, his name is not actually David Bowie. Bowie was born David Robert Jones but is best known as David Bowie today. So, why did he make the change? “David Robert Jones” doesn’t exactly have a rock star edge to it. That being said, there is a specific reason why Bowie decided to become “Bowie”.
How The Name “David Bowie” Came to Be After Several Others
Originally, Bowie went with something a little more subtle: Davie (or Davy) Jones. However, that name didn’t stick because there was already a Davy Jones (of The Monkees fame) out there.
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Then, Bowie went with the name Tom Jones. Yet again, that name became quite a famous one when a Welsh singer by the same name made it big with the song “It’s Not So Usual” in 1965. Jones actually had a bit of a beef with Bowie over it, but Bowie relented and stopped using the name.
The name changes were getting annoying, obviously, and Bowie was ready to pick one that actually stuck. Luckily, he got the inspiration for his final famous name from something that also provided inspiration to his music: American culture.
Contrary to popular belief, Bowie did not get his name from a well-known hunting knife. In the book America In The British Imagination: 1945 To The Present, John Lyons said that Bowie adopted the name “David Bowie” as a homage to Jim Bowie. That character is the famed protagonist of the 1960 John Wayne war movie The Alamo.
So, why did Bowie go with that particular name from that particular character? Allegedly, he thought it would help him connect with American audiences. And, one can’t deny that it’s a pretty unique and unforgettable title.
David Bowie Rarely Wanted to Talk About the Origins of “Bowie” Or His Name Change
You’ve probably noticed that our sources thus far have come from individuals outside of Bowie himself. That’s because Bowie really wasn’t a fan of talking about his name change.
“In answer to your questions, my real name is David Jones, and I don’t have to tell you why I changed it,” he famously wrote in a note to a fan back in 1967. “‘Nobody’s going to make a monkey out of you’ said my manager.’”
Sometimes, all you need is a new name to really refresh your identity as an artist. We can’t imagine Bowie being anyone else other than Bowie.
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