Ziggy Stardust

Ziggy Stardust was Bowie’s androgynous alien rock persona, introduced at the moment glam rock was transforming stage performance into theater. The character helped Bowie turn identity into a central artistic idea, not just a costume change.

• Ziggy appears on the 1972 album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.
• The character was presented as an extraterrestrial messenger and rock star, which made the performances feel theatrical and futuristic.
• Bowie retired the persona dramatically at Hammersmith Odeon in 1973, a famous farewell to the role.
• The look mixed bright costumes, platform boots, and theatrical makeup, influencing glam rock style.
• Ziggy became one of popular music's best-known alter egos and a symbol of performance as storytelling.