What can someone write about David Bowie that hasn’t already been written? A leading figure in popular music, he was known his innovative work and for reinventing himself countless times throughout his five-decades long career. A true legend indeed.
However, today we won’t talk about his music course. We’ll discuss Bowie’s most iconic feature in his appearance; his eyes.
People have been asking this for years: What’s up with David Bowie’s eyes? Why did he have one blue and one brown eye? (the article continues after the ad)
THE STORY
Well, despite what it seems, David Bowie did not have different eye colors – both of his eyes were blue. The problem occurred in the early 1960s when Bowie was 12-13 years old, and got into a fight with one of his friends called George Underwood, over a girl they both wanted to date. During the fight, Bowie was punched in the eye and his muscle that was responsible for contracting his iris was paralyzed, leaving it permanently dilated.
This left Bowie with a condition called anisocoria, which means that his pupils were unequally dilated, and a limited vision in his left eye. Because of anisocoria, we got the impression that his eyes were different in color when in fact, were the exact same color; what you see is his pupil, not the iris. Here’s a video where Bowie explains the incident:
Interestingly, Bowie went on to thank Underwood for the injury, telling that his friend gave him “a kind of mystique” which is true, considering how much discussion went on because of this particularity.
If you like what you read, then you will definitely love this one: Why Does Vladimir Putin Walk With One Arm Moving And The Other Stuck At His Side?
Photo: Markus Klinko / VEVO (Screenshot from David Bowie’s Valentine’s Day video clip)
Photoshop: I’m A Useless Info Junkie
Sources: The remarkable story behind David Bowie’s most iconic feature | The Story Behind David Bowie’s Unusual Eyes