The Thin White Duke

The Thin White Duke was one of David Bowie's many personas. He portrayed the persona from 1975 to 1976. The character appears in the 1976 album Station to Station, in the film: The Man Who Fell To Earth, on the 1976 Isolar tour, on the cover of the album Low and in the song Lazarus as a final goodbye to the character.

Bowie played this character at the peak of his drug use while living in Los Angeles. The character was known for pro-fascist statements made in interviews.

In 1976, after the tour ended, David went to France and Berlin to record the following album Low. David sported short, brown hair during the recording sessions, meaning that the Duke had been retired. The Duke never had an official retirement as Ziggy did but was given a last apperance in Lazarus, showing us that he indeed survived and was still a part of Bowie.