David Bowie and the Search for Life, Death and God: David Bowie and the Search for Life, Death and God

by Peter Ormerod

The story of how David Bowie's search for meaning inspired him to write the music that defined a generation.

In this wide-ranging biography, Peter Ormerod explores the quest for spirituality that powered David Bowie's creativity from his earliest recordings to his death-defying final album. Bowie's genre-expanding, era-crossing genius had an extraordinary impact on popular culture but his life-long search for spiritual truth and enlightenment has been overlooked.

From Bowie's first musical encounters as a choirboy, this book traces his spiritual obsessions over the years. As a young musician at the start of his career, he was enraptured by Tibetan Buddhism. It was the first step in a spiritual journey that would generate his most profound lyrics and music. From the Kabbalah-influenced tracks of Station to Station to Ziggy Stardust's messiah complex and the Christian inspiration behind Heroes, Ormerod sheds new light on the spiritual traditions behind Bowie's genius.

Taking Bowie's spiritual explorations and faith seriously, Ormerod shows us how this quest for meaning propelled him through his darkest moments and biggest successes, lending his music a timelessness and depth that has spoken to so many people across the world. Whether experiencing a dark night of the soul in LA during his occult phase or reciting the Lord's prayer in front of thousands of concertgoers, Bowie was always searching for that universal truth that lies beyond everyday reality.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction

256 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication January 13, 2026

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Continuum for an advance copy of this book that looks at the life, music and creative interest that helped shape one of the most transforming and transformational artists in rock music, a man of many personas, interests, foibles, follies fascinations.

I starting paying attention to music about the same time I started having an interest in poetry. Something has switched on in my brain, either I had grown-up, grown in interest, or maybe found a connection to creativity I never had before. Lyrics became important, while before I could just put on a radio channel and not care what was being sung. Certain bands caught my ear, certain artists became people I would follow years later, their songs still meaning much to me in my life. And certain artists seemed way to too cool for me. David Bowie was one of these artists. Even reading little blurbs in Rolling Stone guide to music seemed to much, like trying to understand the Lord of Rings by learning Pippin's bit of it. Zigg, Thin White Duke, magic, mystery Mars, it seemed a little too much for me. Until it wasn't. I was older working in the record store, when Bowie worked his magic on me. The later stuff not the Berlin trilogy, which I went back to. Like Dylan much has been written about this artist, and like Dylan there still seems to be more to learn. I have read quite a bit about Bowie, but this book seems to get to the heart of the man. David Bowie and the Search for Life, Death and God is written by Peter Ormerod, and looks at an artist who spent most of his life looking for answers to questions that mattered most to him, questions he seemed to work out creatively in music, on stage, and in who Bowie choose to be, that day.

The book is both a biography, a study of the music, and the many influences, from history, philosophy, religion, fashion, magic, and even nature that the artist known as David Bowie drew on. The book starts at the beginning about a boy growing up in a family with dreams that never seemed to come through. Davy Jones was a typical boy growing up Church of England, singing in choir, until the demon music of rock and roll unleashed something in him. A creative force of music that would alow young Davy to be what he wanted to be. Though he would always be wondering what that was. Bands were formed, egos were bruised, music was made but never seemed to hit with the popular music crowd. Until the artist changed his name, and began to look beyond himself, and to transform himself. Something that would be followed throughout his career. The author writes of these different interests, Christianity, something that Bowie oddly hung onto, an interest in Buddhism early in his career, something that also stayed with him. Mime, mimicry and magic, along with magick began to become a focus, allowing the artist to write and create in ways he never thought possible. Cutting lyrics up to make new songs helped him reach different parts of his brain and his soul. All of these ideas covered in this book.

I enjoyed this book quite a bit, a much different book about an artist, that people today would not understand was such an impact. Ormerod is a very good writer, able to write about the music, the man and the many, many things that influenced Bowie and his music. Ormerod covers the ups and downs, of Bowie's career, but it is the quest to understand things that Ormerod really covers well. I found myself listening to old songs with new ears, hearing things I never knew, nor understood before. Some interpretations will probably be in the eye of the writer, but Ormerod really backs up much of what Ormerod writes with sources and notes. Which will lead many a reader to new and interesting places.

A really interesting biography, one that I quite enjoyed. This is the first book I have read by Ormerod, but would love to read his take on other artists, and ways of thinking. I look forward to what Ormerod has planned next.

[Sydney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for the eARC!

From the very start of this book, Ormerod's esteem of and love for Bowie is clear. As a tangential Bowie fan (mostly because I haven't taken the time to listen to much of his music), but someone who still finds him a powerful figure, I was overwhelmed in places by this book. I think die-hard fans will LOVE this book, but if you aren't very familiar with his discography, you'll likely struggle with this book. It may be worth pulling up the songs and albums Ormerod discusses to ground yourself.

[Ward Whipple · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is another one of those masters theses disguised as a biography, so it's very academic. But it is also very insightful. Those who are very familiar with Bowie's entire catalog will find insights they hadn't considered, and none of the author's well-informed theories seem outlandish. It won't be for everyone, but it should keep the reader going back to those albums. (advance proof provided by NetGalley)

[sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

it's definitely clear that ormerod is inspired by david bowie on such a strong level and that's something i can always respect and appreciate when reading a book like this. unfortunately though this wasn't my cup of tea due to the fact that i think it was a bit too heavy on the explanations and definitions without putting bowie at the forefront very much. i enjoyed the deep dives into different forms of spirituality and occasional side notes on bowie nonetheless!