to expect a musician to know how to pronounce Bowie?

[PLAYJAJADINGDONG]

Lighthearted disclaimer

Was sleepily making a brew this morning and heard Sharleen Spiteri on the work radio talking about someone called Barry (tbf it sounded more like Bawwy a la Elmer Funds which further confused me) and how much she admired him. I was stirring my tea thinking hmmm, Barry Gibb maybe.....Manilow, perhaps. I then heard her mention a specific song and realised she was saying Bow (down before royalty)-ie 😮.

It's Bow (as in row, row, row) ie!!! She's a guitar playing musician!

Unforgivable.

before anyone rocks up to tell me I'm wrong 😆.

I've heard plenty of people pronounce it like that...

You know that in some parts of America they pronounce his name Boo-ey, don't you?

I can never pronounce it right

Hmm I thought it was to rhyme with 'how', not 'go', so I'm with Spiteri.

I'm more confused as to how you apparently got the sounds "bar" and "bow" mixed up tbh.

Yup.

Its one of those names that is frequently pronounced in two different ways.

I always liked bow and row, that can be pronounced two different ways both of which rhyme, and which have different meanings. I have a bow in my hair when I bow to the queen. I had a row with my friend as i wanted to row the boat.

Spiteri is Scottish, right? Bowie is quite a common surname in Scotland and tends to be pronounced as you're highlighting (ie. Like 'starboard bow').

She is Scottish.

I have a close friend with that surname, and she pronounces it the opposite of how you are suggesting, so i don't think you can paint one way right or one way wrong...

It's Bow (as in row, row, row) ie!!!

this is really funny
do you mean row as in row your boat?
or row as in I had a blazing row with my dh?

As to Bowie, I grew up with it being Bow (down to royalty) ie.
That would be my default setting.

I recognise that you are supposed to say it the other way, but I hear to more often my way actually.

I think that's just how Scottish people pronounce it. I do the same, doesn't make me any less of a fan!

Yes growing they're pronouncing it incorrectly, likely due to the association with the bowie knife/Jim Bowie.

Jizzle this thread isn't about your friend though? It's about David Bowie whose name is 100% pronounced as per the video. So Sharleen's pronunciation is wrong.

You can't just override the person whose name it actually is and decide to pronounce it entirely differently. Well you can of course but it would make you seem quite dim and/or rude.

As someone with a fairly simple but frequently butchered Irish name, once the person whose name it is tells you how to pronounce it, there is really no excuse for getting it wrong.

steppemum as in row, row, row your boat - hence the three rows!

Isn't she just pronouncing it in a Scottish accent? It's not wrong as such, just not the way you're used it.

But what about people called Bowie who do pronounce it the "wrong" way themselves? Are they all wrong too? 🤔

I always pronounce it like that too, sorry not sorry :p

We have a lot of different ways of pronouncing row

This one always confuses me. Along with JK Rowling. Rhyme with bowling or howling?

She’s Scottish - it’s her accent FFS.

@ShirleyPhallus

This one always confuses me. Along with JK Rowling. Rhyme with bowling or howling?

I would say Bowling but I could be wrong

It's a Scottish thing! I grew up believing his name was pronounced that way as everyone around me said it that way too and I can't think of him any other way I think it's difficult to pronounce Bowie with a Scottish accent!

Rowling rhymes with bowling.

It's Bowie, (go), and always was.
He knew the Bou-ey knife but chose the Bo sound.
Bow like cow - no.