by When pop icon Lady Gaga looks back on her own illustrious career, one name stands out above all others as a guiding light and inspiration – David Bowie. While Bowie sadly passed away in 2016, his revolutionary spirit and boundary-pushing artistry continue to inspire new generations of artists. For Gaga, Bowie showed her what was possible through sheer creative force of will. His fearless experimentation with persona, style and genre taught Gaga that with enough passion and talent, any dream is achievable.
In a 2017 interview with Billboard, Gaga opened up about first discovering Bowie as a young girl growing up in New York. “I remember being 11 or 12 years old and watching the music video for ‘Space Oddity’ for the first time,” she recalled. “I was just mesmerized. The way he portrayed the character of Major Tom, his unique vocals, his androgynous style. It was like nothing I had ever seen before.” Bowie’s willingness to take creative risks and reinvent himself endlessly fascinated Gaga from a young age. She admired how he was constantly evolving, never content to rest on past successes.
Gaga credits Bowie with inspiring her own bold experimentation with fashion and persona throughout her career. “When I started in the music business, I was really influenced by Bowie’s ability to create these incredible characters through his music,” she explained. “It gave me the courage to fully embrace eccentric styles and push boundaries with my own image.” From the meat dress to cybernetic leotards, Gaga has never been afraid to make a bold statement through provocative fashion. She sees it as an essential part of crafting an overarching artistic vision, just as Bowie did with Ziggy Stardust or the Thin White Duke.
Beyond visuals, Gaga also strives to match Bowie’s genre-bending musicality. Across his career, Bowie freely blended styles from glam rock to krautrock to new wave. He had no qualms about experimenting with sounds that were considered outside the mainstream. This fearless musical eclecticism left a deep mark on Gaga. “David gave me the courage to not be afraid of musical genres and to tell stories through sound in very unique ways,” she noted. Whether it’s the industrial edge of “Paparazzi” or the jazzy influences on “Joanne,” Gaga relishes incorporating diverse influences into her own music. She sees it as honoring Bowie’s legacy of constant sonic evolution.
Perhaps Bowie’s greatest lesson for Gaga, however, was showing the power an artist can wield for good. Throughout his career, Bowie fearlessly stood up for LGBTQ rights and marginalized communities in a way that was radically ahead of its time. Gaga reflected on how profoundly his advocacy impacted her. “David was so open-minded and accepting of all people. Watching him gave me courage to be more outspoken about equality, diversity and human rights issues close to my heart,” she said. From championing marriage equality to combating mental health stigma, Gaga actively uses her platform just as Bowie did to advance social justice causes.
Nowhere was Bowie’s influence more apparent than on Gaga’s 2016 album “Joanne.” Named for her late aunt, the album saw Gaga stripping back her larger-than-life persona in favor of a more intimate, folk-influenced sound. However, it was the album’s emotional core that most reflected Bowie’s lessons. “When I was making ‘Joanne,’ I really thought about David a lot. About living authentically and following your art wherever it takes you, even if that means changing up your sound,” Gaga explained. Even in the face of criticism over her new direction, Bowie had shown Gaga the importance of unwavering artistic integrity above commercial success or trends.
In the years since Bowie’s passing, Gaga’s appreciation for his influence has only deepened. She views him not only as a mentor but also a kindred creative spirit. “David and I had so much in common – we were both misfits, artists obsessed with our work. We both understood what it was like to have big dreams that others may not understand,” Gaga reflected. While their paths through the pop landscape differed in many ways, she feels a strong bond with Bowie over their shared drive to evolve constantly and bring new dimensions to their art. His relentless experimentation and advocacy taught Gaga that as an artist, she has both the right and responsibility to use her platform to push boundaries and advance important causes.
Now, as Gaga’s own star continues to rise to new heights, she hopes to honor Bowie’s legacy through paying his lessons forward. “I want new generations of artists to feel empowered by David’s example like I did. To know that they can be completely unique and unconventional in their work. That they don’t have to conform to anyone else’s ideas of success,” she said. Whether it’s budding singers, musicians or those in other creative fields, Gaga aims to spread Bowie’s message that originality and passion matter far above following trends or formulas. His example gave her the courage to fully embrace her own eccentricities – and she wants others to feel liberated to do the same.
In many ways, Gaga has become one of the modern standard-bearers of Bowie’s creative spirit of constant evolution. Just as he did, she continues challenging herself and listeners with each new era. From the dance-pop of “The Fame” to the jazz-inflected “Cheek to Cheek,” Gaga refuses to rest on any one sound or persona. She remains dedicated to using her massive platform to further social justice, whether advocating for LGBTQ rights or combating the stigma around mental illness. And through it all, she strives to bring Bowie’s message of empowerment to new generations of creative misfits looking for inspiration. As one of popular music’s most original forces, Lady Gaga’s career stands as a testament to the enduring influence of her first muse – David Bowie, the Starman who showed her the infinite possibilities of artistic vision and drive.
