To have had a bloody good cry over the news about David Bowie this morning

[MrsAxewound]

Bit of a strange way to react to the death of a stranger I guess but I am such a fan of his. I kinda cried like a family member had died! In my defence I am pregnant so I could just blame hormones

Yanbu.

It's so hard to believe. I mean, it's Bowie. He's supposed to be immortal.

I am so glad that we didn't know how ill he was, because he and his family were able to have privacy through his illness and in particular when he was dying. Everyone deserves that.

Well said liz.

Oh YANBU. I don't give a shit about the horrible comments, those posters can fuck right off.

As MrsDV says, folk like that and their music can be a best friend at times. Their music can comfort us, lift us, help us grieve, make us dance and be a huge part of our lives across many years. And I couldn't swear that I was even a massive fan. Yet I had tears this morning because he truly was iconic and it's a reminder to live this ONE life to the fullest, every day. Because we're none of us here forever. I know many might not share this, but I will proper wail when Babs dies.

YANBU, I'm in bits - a huge fan and also pregnant!
I feel so lucky to have been at his last UK performance.

I cannot believe how teary I am. I have never been so upset by a complete stranger dying. His music was absolutely core to my identity though. I just hadn't had to think about that for a while.

I was upset over Ed Stewart.
but David Bowie, another one crying here.
I cant imagine anyone else, famous, having that affect on me.

Oh God, hadn't cried until 6Music played Letter to Hermione just now.

'I'm not quite sure what I'm supposed to do
So I'll just write some love to you'

i was listening to the radio earlier and found it hard to imagine how they could manage to go on presenting.

I snuck off this morning while ds was getting dressed for school and had a little cry.

They played Heroes, and I remembered 2012 olympics, Team GB came in to the stadium to the Heroes.
My dd can play that on the piano.

Yanbu. There is nothing wrong with reacting with sadness to bad news, even if you don't know the people involved.

For a lot of folk born in the 1960s, and 1970s, he was a figure from their childhood/youth. The passing of such people can hit hard.

I don't know much about him and was never a fan, but I read that he has a child who's still quite young, which made me sad for the family. I'm also sorry about the fact that he suffered (presumably, given the cause of death).

I also read that he had that quite rare thing - a solid showbiz marriage.

YA most definitely NBU

He was a genius, an innovator, the way he would constanty reinvent himself to keep ahead of trends had never been seen before and most likely won't be seen again.

I loved the way he was all alternative and then decided to become a mainstream pop star and made an absolute fortune doing arena tours

Such a shock. RIP David.

What's funny is that when I was a kid I couldn't stand him! I think because he frightened me a bit in Labyrinth I had absolutely no idea who he was! At some point though he pretty much changed my life. I always knew it'd be a sad day when he goes, just didn't expect/want it to be any time soon

YANBU. I'm not a massive fan, more a greatest hit fan but certain songs I just love. Space Oddity, Life on Mars, Sound and Vision, Lets Dance and Under Pressure all spring to mind. Part of the soundtrack of my life. That generation of artists was so influential I can't imaging seeing the same again.

Queued for hours for £2 restricted view tickets when he was at Earls Court in the 70s.

Totally gutted.

YABU. I think it's weird to cry about the death of someone you never really knew, a stranger to you.

An appropriate response is to feel sadness at the death of another person, any person, perhaps a deeper sadness in the case of a person who's work you enjoyed or touched you. But crying is way over the top IMO. All that wailing and sobbing and rending of clothes when Princess Diana died was extraordinary.

Fuck right off, Medea.

MN, feel free to delete me.

YANBU, if it moves you, cry.

I thought I might cry but I didn't. I was sad for a couple of hours and then I just felt immensely proud of him. I've been a David Bowie fan since 1971. He went out in style. No moaning about being ill, just finishing a great album and finally staging a musical. It was well done, sir, well done indeed.

OnlyLovers

Bit extreme and uncalled for. It's a thread asking for opinions! That's my opinion. It's not that unreasonable a view to warrant verbal abuse.

If you can't tolerate people disagreeing with you to the point you need to abuse them, you must have a charming life.

I don't care what you think of me or my life, Medea.

There is no 'appropriate response'.

LOL . Figures.

Medea - we feel grief because of our connection to him through the corpus of his work. David Jones the private individual was unknown to us, but David Bowie, the singer-songwriter, actor and performer was most certainly known to us. Through his work he sought to speak to us and to connect with us. In respect of many of us, he achieved this. It is this connection that we mourn. We are also capable of appreciating the infinitely deeper and more personal loss that his wife and children have experienced and of shedding a tear for them too.

Lol, there's always one. Thanks to the rest of you guys for not making me feel like a total freak and thanks Medea for letting me know how to respond appropriately in future