The death last week of David Bowie has brought up the past in such a stunning and unexpected way that I felt I needed to write a few lines about how he influenced and inspired me throughout my life. It began when I was a teenager watching his ground breaking performances with my sister on The Midnight Special and evolving through my college years during which he was recording my most treasured albums: Low, Heroes and Lodger not to mention the 2 albums he made with Iggy Pop, The Idiot and Lust for Life. I was just starting my artistic journey and these masterpieces could not have come at a more important time. They were like nothing I had ever heard and their mere existence helped me to stretch my imagination and believe in the infinite possibilities of the creative mind. He led me to discover the genius of Brian Eno and his Oblique Strategies, a set of cards with various sayings intended to help one get over a creative block.  I learned of The Exquisite Corpse which is a collaborative means of composing music and artwork introduced by the Surrealists , not to mention the magical theatrics of Klaus Nomi and Joey Arias. I can't possibly record nor even remember the many ways he has contributed to my education and fed my thirst for knowledge. His music has been a constant part of my life and he will be so dearly missed.