Last summer we time traveled back to 1964 and showed you the very first TV appearance of David Bowie. Here, we found Bowie, only 17 years old, presenting himself as the spokesman for “The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Long-Haired Men.” Long hair wasn’t widely accepted in the England of 1964, and, with a touch of humor, Bowie was taking a stand. “I think we’re all fairly tolerant, but for the last two years we’ve had comments like ‘Darling!’ and ‘Can I carry your handbag?’ thrown at us, and I think it just has to stop now.”
Bowie’s obsession with hair never went away. Creative hairstyles would come and go throughout the years. And they’re all on display in an animated gif, which Helen Green published on her Tumblr last week to celebrate the musician’s 68th birthday.
If you would like to sign up for Open Culture’s free email newsletter, please find it here.
If you would like to support the mission of Open Culture, consider making a donation to our site. It’s hard to rely 100% on ads, and your contributions will help us continue providing the best free cultural and educational materials to learners everywhere. You can contribute through PayPal, Patreon, Venmo (@openculture) and Crypto. Thanks!
Related Content:
A 17-Year-Old David Bowie Defends “Long-Haired Men” in His First TV Interview (1964)
David Bowie and Cher Sing Duet of “Young Americans” and Other Songs on 1975 Variety Show
David Bowie Sings ‘I Got You Babe’ with Marianne Faithfull in His Last Performance As Ziggy Stardust
Leave a Reply