Vatican newspaper says Bowie was ‘never banal’

Floral tributes lay beside a mural of British singer David Bowie by artist Jimmy C in Brixton, south London, Monday, Jan. 11, 2016. David Bowie, the iconic and shape-shifting British singer whose illustrious career lasted five decade with hits like “Fame,” ”Heroes” and “Let’s Dance,” died Sunday after a battle with cancer. He was 69. The singer, who was born David Jones at the family home in the Brixton area of London, came of age in the glam rock era of the early 1970s. AP Photo

LONDON—The Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano has eulogized David Bowie as a singular musician, “never banal,” who grew artistically over five decades thanks to his interest in art, film and theater.

The paper, which frequently weighs in on pop culture, noted the “ambiguous image” Bowie cultivated early on in his career and blamed it on his aim to attract media attention.

BACKSTORY: Iconic singer David Bowie dies at 69

But it said that aside from such “excesses,” Bowie’s legacy “is one of a sort of personal sobriety, expressed even in his dry, almost thread-like body.”

It listed “Heroes,” Bowie’s ode to Berlin, as one of his “pearls” in his 25 albums.

Earlier Monday, the Vatican’s culture minister, Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, paid tribute to Bowie by tweeting the opening lyrics to “Space Oddity” — “Ground Control to Major Tom/Commencing countdown, engines on/ Check ignition/and may God’s love be with you.”

The White House is also saluting Bowie’s immense contribution to art, music and film in the United States and abroad.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest says he’s not sure whether President Barack Obama was a Bowie fan. But he says the broad outpouring of reaction to Bowie’s death illustrates how his loss will be felt.

Earnest says people all across the world have said they were inspired by Bowie’s life and work.

One of Bowie’s contemporaries, Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger is remembering him as “original” and “shameless.”

READ: Stars pay tribute to David Bowie

The two icons teamed up in 1985 for “Dancing in the Street,” a cover of the Motown classic that was a top 10 hit in Britain and the U.S.

“David was always an inspiration to me and a true original. He was wonderfully shameless in his work. We had so many good times together,” Jagger says in a statement. “He was my friend. I will never forget him.”

Meanwhile, to honor Bowie, the TV networks MTV and VH1 will air dedicated programming to “celebrate the life of the musical genius.”

MTV plans on Monday to air some of Bowie’s biggest MTV moments including his 1984 VMA performance of hit song “Blue Jean,” an archival interview with Iggy Pop and more.

VH1 Classic will air blocks of Bowie music videos over the next couple of days and the film “Ziggy Stardust.” Both networks also will air additional archival content later this week.

The British Bowie, whose career spanned five decades, succumbed to cancer Sunday. He was 69.