The Cheat Sheet

John Lennon and David Bowie’s ‘Fame’ Was Based on Another Song

While he rarely wrote tunes for other artists in the 1970s, John Lennon co-wrote David Bowie’s “Fame.” The tune’s other writer said that it was inspired by a 1960s doo-wop classic. Today, that doo-wop ...
The Cheat Sheet

David Bowie Said His Song ‘Fame’ Was John Lennon’s Attempt to Bring Art to the Masses

Two classic rock stars helped write David Bowie’s “Fame”: Bowie himself and John Lennon. Looking back on the song, Bowie said it was inspired by John’s attitude toward art. Both rock stars were part ...
American Songwriter

The Meaning Behind “Fame,” David Bowie’s First No. 1 Hit; It Followed John Lennon’s One Secret to Songwriting (and Had Lennon as Co-Writer for Good Measure)

As Lennon told Bob Harris on The Old Grey Whistle Test, “I got to know David through Mick [Jagger], really. Although I’d met him once before. And next minute, he says, ‘Hello, John, I’m doing ‘Across ...
collider

50 Years Ago, David Bowie Landed His First U.S. Billboard #1 — With the Help of This Beatles Legend

Curious from birth, Fiona is a music writer, researcher, and cultural theorist based in the UK. She studied her Bachelor of Music in London, specializing in audiovisual practices, and progressed to a ...
Complex

Watch Win Butler, Miguel, and John Oates Cover David Bowie's "Fame"

As videos of The Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival’s all-star PoWoW! jam session continue to surface, Rolling Stone has shared another highlight from the festival’s inaugural weekend. In a tribute to ...