Celebrity Birthdays, January 8: David Bowie and Genevieve Cortese

Singer David Bowie and actress Genevieve Cortese are celebrating their birthdays today.

David Bowie, 68


image courtesy of INFevents.com

Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, arranger and actor David Bowie turns 68 today. Bowie is known for his distinctive voice. Aside from his musical abilities, he is recognized for his androgyny, which was an iconic element to his image, particularly in the 1970s and 1980s.

Bowie first gained attention in July 1969 when his song "Space Oddity" reached the top five of the UK Singles Chart. In 1972 he gained more attention with the flamboyant, androgynous alter ego Ziggy Stardust and his hit single "Starman" from the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.

In 1975, Bowie achieved his first major American crossover success with the No. 1 single "Fame" and the hit album Young Americans. His next three albums Low, Heroes and Lodger, all collaborations with Brian Enos, all reached the UK top five and received lasting critical praise. Bowie had UK number ones with the 1980 single "Ashes to Ashes" and "Under Pressure," a 1981 collaboration with Queen. He then reached a new commercial peak in 1983 with Let's Dance.

Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Bowie continued to experiment with musical styles. He has not toured since the 2003–04 Reality Tour and has not performed live since 2006. Bowie's latest studio album, The Next Day, was released in March 2013.

Throughout his career, Bowie has sold an estimated 140 million albums. In the UK, he has been awarded nine Platinum album certifications, 11 Gold and eight Silver, and in the US, five Platinum and seven Gold certifications. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked him No. 39 on their list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time," and No. 23 on their list of the best singers of all time.

Bowie is married to Somali-American model Iman. They have one daughter, Alexandria Zahra Jones.

Genevieve Cortese, 34


image courtesy of INFevents.com

Actress Genevieve Cortese turns 34 today. Before making her television debut, Cortese performed in regional theater productions of A Midsummer Night's Dream, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Crimes of the Heart and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Cortes played Kris Furillo on the ABC Family series Wildfire. The show premiered in 2005 and lasted four season, ending in May 2008 due to low ratings.

Cortese went on to have a recurring role in the CW series Supernatural as Ruby, a demon who assists the protagonists, Sam and Dean Winchester, with fighting off her fellow demons, though she may have ulterior motives. In 2009, Cortese had a role on the ABC science fiction series Flash Forward which was cancelled after one season.

Cortese is married to her Supernatural co-star Jared Padalecki. They have two sons, Thomas Colton and Austin Shepherd.

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