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Tim Conley, who dresses as David Bowie from the 1972 album, can also be seen in bands, Kite to the Moon and Abbey Road LIVE!

Singer 'capable of actually looking like' Bowie

By: JOHN BARRETT

Posted: 2/5/09

The year was 1972, a mere three years after Apollo 11 landed on the moon.

In response to a culture fascinated with the idea of outer space, English artist David Bowie released the space-themed glam-rock album "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars."

This album, which proved a massive success and propelled Bowie to stardom, is now widely regarded as a classic.

Tonight at the Georgia Theatre, a collective of local musicians will pay tribute to the monumental influence of "Ziggy Stardust."

Tim Conley, who plays the part of legendary Bowie, will lead the band. Conley is recognized in the Classic City as a member of the popular Beatles tribute group Abbey Road LIVE! as well as his original project Kite to the Moon.

He will perform alongside bassist Jay Rodgers (of Kite to the Moon), keyboardist Michael Wegner (of Abbey Road LIVE!) and drummer Andrew Hanmer (of both groups). The lineup is rounded out by saxophonist John James and guitarists Chris McKay and Chris Giddens.

These seven musicians previously paid tribute to Bowie and his music at the Theatre on Halloween of 2008. That show's enthusiastic reception prompted the group to reunite for a second performance.

"'Ziggy Stardust' the album lends itself incredibly well to a stage show because of the costuming and the theme," Conley said. "It can really be played out on the stage."

Bowie's chief inspiration for the album's theme was a performer from the '60s named Vince Taylor, who allegedly went insane while performing in front of a crowd of thousands.

"Bowie was affected by [Taylor's] real-life story," Conley said. "So the alter-ego of Ziggy Stardust was formed - a 'space-man' who had lost his mind but had all this charisma."

In the wake of the success of this character and the related album, Bowie became Ziggy himself in the public eye.

"He adopted that identity because of how popular it was with the fans, and to a certain extent people were expecting him to do that," Conley said. "But Bowie is extremely smart with his craft and his business, so he ditched the persona afterward before it could become phony."

Bowie's strategy to market himself as an outrageous character can be viewed as a microcosm of his career at large - more specifically, his penchant for reinventing himself in unusual and sometimes controversial ways.

"He came out and said he was gay back when that was totally uncool, but I think that move was at least partly calculated; Bowie is sharp like that," Conley said. "He would hit people's taboos and use them to his advantage to gain more notoriety."

But what is it about "Ziggy Stardust" that makes it pertinent to Athens itself?

"I think there's a strong component of the Athens population that likes to dress up and get freaky, and the album is perfect for that: the dressing up, the androgyny, the glam and the fabulousness of it," Conley said, drawing on his experiences in the local scene.

Conley also said he is excited to have the opportunity to once again impersonate Bowie.

"In Abbey Road LIVE!, we really don't try to imitate The Beatles at all - it's not our personality and we don't look like them or anything," he said. "But Bowie is kind of a different story, because I'm capable of actually looking like him."

The local collective does not plan to confine itself to solely recreating the album "Ziggy Stardust." It will perform an additional set that comprises a variety of other Bowie hits from the '70s and '80s.