At just 17 years old
, David Bowie, in an interview with the BBC on November 12, 1964, spoke out against the prejudice against men with long hair, saying, “This cruelty to us must end.” This outburst was an early sign of his future legendary spirit of creative rebellion.Bowie was the founder of the “Society to Prevent the Cruelty to Long-Haired Men” at the time. On the BBC program, he made his voice heard, saying, “For the last two years we’ve been subjected to taunts like ‘Honey!’ or ‘Shall I carry your bag?’ Enough is enough.” This was his first media stunt before starting his music career, and it showcased his extraordinary self-confidence. The 1960s were a time of a cultural war against men with long hair in England. Many young men were expelled from school and ostracized in their workplaces. Bowie, however, called for freedom, saying, “No one should judge us for our hair.” Years later, when David Jones changed his name to David Bowie, he carried this early rebellious spirit into his music and style. The artist, who rose to stardom with “Space Oddity,” overturned societal norms with his character Ziggy Stardust and became a symbol of originality in art.
