The Bowie Bird

Today, January 10 is the fifth anniversary of David Bowie’s death.

Last year on this date, instead of spending the day with her family, Iman – who was Bowie’s wife – went hiking through the San Francisco redwoods. She went alone, but while there joined a guided tour.

Along the way, she saw a bluebird fly right in front of her — “A bluebird, above all things!” she exclaimed.  Bowie’s final antemortem single, “Lazarus”, includes the lines, “You know, I’ll be free/ Just like that bluebird/ Now ain’t that just like me?”

“I asked the tour guide, and he said, ‘Oh, they’re very rare here, bluebirds,’” Iman continued. “And so now, instead of remembering it as sad, it is more of a joyous day.”

The model and philanthropist related her story to a reporter for Harper’s Bazaar. She and Bowie were married in 1992 and they had a child together in 2000. They remained married to the end.

From the article: Despite being a glamorous supermodel and a beloved rock god, Iman insisted their family life “could not have been more regular! It was a really everyday marriage.”

She continued: “He was a very funny, warm gentleman – you know, everyone talks about him being futuristic, but no, he was not, he liked more than anything to wear a three-piece suit. It was a beautiful, ordinary life and that was what was great about it. We could live in New York, pick up our daughter from school, walk everywhere… You know, I wish we had had more years.”

Bowie died Jan. 10, 2016 of liver cancer.