When musical sensation David Bowie died in 2016, he left a cultural legacy that few can rival. From his influential creations like the character (and star of a concept album) Ziggy Stardust to his status as a fashion icon, the singer from South London touched many aspects of the world in ways that few will be able to repeat in the future.
Aside from his astounding body of work, which included award-winning albums, iconic film appearances, and some delightful art pieces, he was also a father to two children. He had his first child in 1971, a son with his first wife, the model and actress Mary Angela Barnett. They gave him the name Duncan, although at various points in his childhood, he was known as Zowie, or Joe.
Barnett and Bowie both described their partnership as a marriage of convenience, and they were known to have an open relationship, although in later years Barnett was a little unguarded about her time with the singer, and implied that their relationship was somewhat tumultuous. Bowie later married the Somali-American model Iman, who has worked with every big name in fashion, including Donna Karan and Calvin Klein. They had one daughter in the year 2000: Alexandria “Lexi” Zahra Jones.
Having such a significant parent is a unique and interesting way to grow up, and while there are definitely a lot of benefits in having a famous family (access, cash, and the opportunity to try new things), there are also downsides. Here’s the rundown on what David Bowie’s two kids are doing, and how they got there.
Duncan Zowie Haywood Jones
Photo by Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images
Born Duncan Zowie Haywood Jones, Bowie’s first child had the sort of international childhood one would expect of the son of a famous singer, spending time in the U.K., Germany, and Switzerland. He was semi-famous before he could even walk, with his father writing the song “Kooks” for him, which was on the seminal album Hunky Dory. When his parents separated, Bowie received full custody of Duncan, although he saw his mother often.
Jones eventually fell into studying film and was even a cameraman at his dad’s televised 50th birthday bash, so it’s fair to say he put the work into his film career to bolster his already impressive inbuilt connections. He first rose to prominence for his own work thanks to a controversial 2006 commercial for the fashion brand French Connection, who were looking to move away from their FCUK branding into something more modern. The advert featured two female models (supposedly representing fashion and style) fighting and kissing, and led to a deluge of complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority, the U.K.’s advertising regulator.
Jones directed the feature film Moon, which was released in 2009. The film follows a solo worker on a fuel extraction site on the Earth’s moon, who is nearing the end of his three-year stint on the rock and readying himself to return to Earth. However, as the date of his move back gets closer, he begins to have worrying hallucinations and soon suspects that the AI that’s been his only companion is conspiring against him. Soon, he realizes that there’s something much more sinister going on, and there’s a very real chance he won’t make it back to see his wife and child.
Moon was a critical success, earning Jones several award nominations, including one for a BAFTA. His next project was the movie Source Code, a sci-fi thriller that was released on DVD in 2011. He followed that effort with Warcraft, based on the hugely popular online, multiplayer game World of Warcraft. This was released in 2016.
Jones’ most recently released film was released by Netflix in 2018. Another sci-fi, this movie was named Mute and had some serious star power involved, with a cast that included Alexander Skarsgård and Paul Rudd. Jones said that the film, set in a futuristic Berlin, was inspired by Blade Runner, and it follows a mute barkeep turned amateur detective in the hope of finding out what happened to a disappeared lover. Jones has regularly referred to Blade Runner as one of his favorite films, alongside Twelve Monkeys and the 1961 Japanese samurai classic Yojimbo.
Jones has said his next project will be another sci-fi film, this time based on the adventures of the comic book character Rogue Trooper. There is no set date for this release yet, although he has commented that the script is slowly getting into shape.
Jones has two children with the photographer Rodene Ronquillo, including a daughter named Zowie. He’s also written a graphic novel and is active on Twitter, where he often posts liberal talking points and anti-Trump messaging. He appears to have a strained relationship with his mother, telling U.K. outlet The Sun that she’s a “corrosive person.”
Alexandria “Lexi” Zahra Jones
Bowie’s second child, Alexandria “Lexi” Zahra Jones, was born nearly in New York three decades after Duncan, and as a result, hasn’t been in the public eye as much as her older half-brother. When she was born, her parents gave an interview to the U.K. outlet Hello, in which Bowie said it was likely to be his daughter’s “first and last” interview. She also has another half-sibling from her mother’s side.
While Jones has spent a lot of time under the radar, especially given her parents’ incredible fame, as a result of her parentage she has still attracted some public attention. When her mother shared an image of her as a celebration of her 18th birthday, the Somali-American model was allegedly flooded with requests to have Lexi do shoots, as per Porter. However, it seems that the young woman declined.
No matter how famous, connected, and wealthy someone is, losing a parent is never easy, especially as a teenager. Lexi has shown her close connection to her iconic father in a few ways, from posts on Instagram on his birthday to getting a tattoo representing Bowie.
Of course, being in the public eye is pretty much a depressing guarantee of receiving some gross and horrible messages. This is doubly so if you’re a woman, and even though she’s only in her early twenties, Lexi has clearly had to deal with these kinds of disgusting intrusions. However, it seems she’s happy to call out the trolls publicly, sometimes reposting uncomfortable DMs she’s received with a stern telling-off to boot. So, it’s fair to say she can stand up for herself.
Very little is known about her love life, and it appears she’s keen to keep it that way. There have been some speculations as to people she has potentially dated, but nothing has ever been confirmed. What is known is that, like her father, she has a love and penchant for art, and even has her own Instagram account dedicated to her work: @unsettling.art. Her mother told Harpers that she was inspired by her daughter to take up painting during the COVID-2019 lockdowns, adding “‘David was a painter; my daughter is a painter. I never painted in my life, so I’ve taken it up. I learned that I don’t have to be good at something to start doing it. Just get out of your own way, go for it.”
Lexi has a Depop account where she sells original paintings, as well as clothing that’s been upcycled. While she’s still developing a style, a lot of her work uses distorted faces and misproportioned figures, as well as motifs and styles adopted from figures like Tim Burton. On an Instagram post about her work, she delved into her own artistic philosophy, writing:
“My meditation is painting, illustrating, and sketching. During these times I feel freed from my mind and am able to convert the pent up negative energy into something positive, something I end up feeling proud of.”
She has also given followers of her account a glimpse into some poetry and music, showing some of the other talents she seems to have inherited from her famous dad.