I remember hearing Bowie for the first time in my high school friendвЂ™s apartment in Manhattan. I observed the power of music to create community and support social change.ДЇor many of the artists I interviewed, discovering Bowie was a watershed moment that reminded me of SteinemвЂ™s before-and-after dichotomy. military intervention in Central America that combined music and poetry with speeches by the feisty attorney William Kunstler, short story writer and poet Grace Paley, and others.

One of my transformative events was a large gathering on the steps of Federal District Court in Manhattan to protest U.S. There she developed connections with вЂњissues, possibilities, and womenвЂќ that engage her to this day. Gloria Steinem wrote in her 2015 book вЂњMy Life on the RoadвЂќ that вЂњthere are events that divide our lives into before and after.вЂќ She explained that when asked to name such an event, most people вЂњcite an event that gave them a feeling of emotional connection.вЂќ For her it was the 1977 National WomenвЂ™s Conference in Houston that focused on equity and inclusion. вЂњSuffragette City,вЂќ with its pre-punk energy, has lyrics that I cannot connect to Ziggy, but itвЂ™s a classic rock tune that gets the meekest of us on the dance floor. (I understand that some believe the album was not initially conceived as a concept album and that a theme arose after songs were recorded.)Д«owie takes us on a wild ride, opening with the harrowing вЂњFive Years,вЂќ in which we learn that Earth has only five years before its apocalypse then on to more hopeful songs, including вЂњSoul LoveвЂќ and вЂњStarman.вЂќ вЂњMoonage Daydream,вЂќ enhanced by RonsonвЂ™s guitar, references the Ziggy character as an alligator, a mama-papa and the space invader. It tells the tale, to me, of androgynous and theatrical rock star (and Bowie alter ego) Ziggy Stardust, an alien sent to Earth to save it from an apocalyptic end. Ziggy Stardust, BowieвЂ™s fifth studio album - featuring his remarkable band the Spiders from Mars that included guitarist Mick Ronson, bassist Trevor Bolder and drummer Mick Woodmansey - was co-produced by Bowie and Ken Scott. Some responded in detail about the album, while others talked more generally about Bowie. In honor of the albumвЂ™s anniversary, I asked a variety of artists to explain its impact on them. Though Bowie laid to rest the character Ziggy Stardust in 1973, his evolving styles and personas taught us that we too can reinvent ourselves and reveal deeply hidden parts of ourselves. It influenced the development of glam rock and is still relevant and engaging today. Given the number of people who fall into the outlier category, this album - like virtually BowieвЂ™s entire catalogue - connected with a huge number of fans and inspired many artists. His conviction to be himself, no matter what the consequences, encouraged his fans to respect themselves. This month marks the 50th anniversary of David BowieвЂ™s groundbreaking album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.Д«owieвЂ™s bold, unique persona and provocative lyrics validated anyone who felt like they were orbiting outside the mainstream. The cover of Ziggy StardustвЂ™s 1972 album, вЂњThe Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars.вЂќ

Lyrics to staring at the sun