Many people have wondered if Zowie Bowie, the singer and entertainer who performs in Las Vegas, is related to the late David Bowie, the legendary rock star and cultural icon. The answer is no, they are not related at all. Zowie Bowie is just a stage name that Chris Phillips adopted as a tribute to his idol. But there is another Zowie Bowie who does have a connection to David Bowie: his son, Duncan Jones.
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Who is Duncan Jones?
Duncan Jones is a British film director, producer and screenwriter who has made acclaimed sci-fi movies such as Moon, Source Code and Warcraft. He is the son of David Bowie and his first wife, Angie Bowie, an American model and actress. He was born in 1971 as Duncan Zowie Haywood Jones, but he was mostly known as Zowie Bowie in his childhood.
According to Wikipedia, his birth inspired his father to write the song “Kooks” for his 1971 album Hunky Dory. He spent his early years in London, Berlin and Switzerland, where he attended school. He later changed his name to Joey, then Joe, and finally reverted to his birth name Duncan around the age of 18.
He graduated from the College of Wooster in Ohio with a degree in philosophy, and then pursued a PhD at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee, but dropped out to attend the London Film School. He made his directorial debut in 2009 with Moon, a low-budget sci-fi thriller starring Sam Rockwell as an astronaut on a lunar base. The film won him the BAFTA Award for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer.
He followed up with Source Code in 2011, a time-loop thriller starring Jake Gyllenhaal as a soldier who relives the same eight minutes on a train that is about to explode. He then directed Warcraft in 2016, a big-budget adaptation of the popular video game franchise. His latest film is Mute, a Netflix original sci-fi noir set in futuristic Berlin.
What was his relationship with David Bowie?
Duncan Jones had a close relationship with his father, who supported his passion for filmmaking and shared his love for sci-fi. They watched movies together and discussed their ideas and projects. Jones said that his father gave him “the time and the support to find my feet and the confidence to do what I do”.
However, their relationship was not always smooth. When Jones was eight years old, his parents divorced and his father got custody of him. He saw his mother only on school holidays until he stopped contact with her at age 13. He also struggled with his father’s fame and the attention it brought him. He said that he felt “a little bit like an experiment” growing up with David Bowie as a dad.
He also had to cope with his father’s illness and death in 2016. David Bowie died of liver cancer at age 69, just two days after releasing his final album Blackstar. Jones announced the news on Twitter, saying “Very sorry and sad to say it’s true. I’ll be offline for a while. Love to all.” He later revealed that he learned about his father’s diagnosis only three months before he passed away.
He said that he was grateful for the time they spent together and the legacy he left behind. He also said that he felt closer to his father through his music and films. He said that he was proud of his father’s courage and creativity in facing death.
What is he doing now?
Duncan Jones is currently working on a new project called Rogue Trooper, a sci-fi action film based on a comic book character from 2000 AD. He announced the film on Twitter in 2018, saying “As promised… I’m making a comic book movie next! A pretty special one. That’s the initial tease… Second tease to come in a few days!”
He also has a personal life outside of filmmaking. He married his wife Rodene in 2012, and together they have two children: Stenton David Jones, who was born exactly six months after David Bowie died in 2016, and their daughter Zowie named after what David Bowie used to call Jones.
He is also active on social media, where he interacts with fans and shares his opinions on various topics. He often pays tribute to his father and celebrates his achievements and milestones.
Conclusion
Zowie Bowie is not related to David Bowie, but Duncan Jones is. He is the son of David Bowie and Angie Bowie, and he is also a successful film director who has made some of the most original and innovative sci-fi movies of recent years. He had a complex but loving relationship with his father, who influenced him both personally and professionally. He continues to honor his father’s memory and legacy through his own work and life..
