David Bowie was born David Robert Jones in Brixton, South London, in 1947. In the mid '60s, Bowie played with a string of R&B based outfits in London with little success and he considered leaving the music business to become a mime. On July 11th, 1969, Bowie released his first single in 2 years, “Space Oddity”. Following the success of “Space Oddity”, Bowie assembled the group that would help shoot him to stardom. Initially called ‘Hype’, bassist Tony Visconti, guitarist Mick Ronson, and drummer Woody Woodmansey joined Bowie for the recording of The Man Who Sold The World (1970) and agreed to become his backing band.  By 1972, Glam Rock had become the dominant sub genre in the UK rock scene, led by Marc Bolan and T. Rex. With outrageous costumes and dyed red hair, Bowie debuted his new persona, Ziggy Stardust, in wild concerts that preceded the release of his fifth album, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. Following the release of Ziggy Stardust, Bowie reinvented himself with every subsequent album - Aladdin Sane, Diamond Dogs, Young Americans and Station To Station. As the '80s began, Bowie saw equal success from his releases - mainly from teaming up with Queen to record “Under Pressure.” The '90s saw Bowie delve deeper into electronic music embracing the Industrial genre on albums like 1.0utside, (1995) Earthling (1997) and Hours (1999). In 1996, Bowie was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. David Bowie influenced generations of rockers with his theatrical style, constant reinvention, and sonic exploration. With over 100 Million albums sold worldwide, he remains one of the most successful and popular stars in music history.

John! Paul! George! Ringo! Arguably the most musically diverse and iconic band of the 1960s British Invasion, The Beatles set the standard for which bands still strive in today’s music. The Beatles are one of the few bands to literally create their own mythos - the lads from Liverpool are as enigmatic intellectually as they are musically. This show doesn’t merely center around the most well-known band of all time, it also happens to employ the most diverse musical range and skill-level window of any artist show. There are raucous three chord garage rock bangers of the early Beatles era, and late sixties era proto-prog technical masterpieces.  Drummers will learn the true artistry that is Ringo’s style; bassists will be blown away by Paul’s melodic yet rhythmic bass lines; guitarists will know the sophistication and complimentary guitar skills of John and George which are interwoven in every selection; and vocalists will understand the brilliance of their harmonies. With great material for all instruments, The Beatles show is a can’t miss opportunity for any SoR student!