Beloved musician David Bowie died from liver cancer on January 10, 2016. He was 69. He left behind a loving wife, Iman, and their daughter Alexandria “Lexi” Zahra Jones, who was born in August 2000. The world mourned the loss of an icon, but his family grieved someone they loved dearly, and Iman still had a teenage daughter to raise.
Iman Reflects on David Bowie’s Passing
“At the beginning, I had a teenager — my daughter,” Iman told People in an interview published on Saturday, September 19. “I was so busy trying to get her through that, so I didn’t pay attention to my own grief. So actually, my grief came later.”
She continued, “You come to a point [where] you don’t want every time you think about somebody you love who passed away, that it brings you [to] tears. Because that’s what they [wouldn’t] want. So, it’s trying to keep the memory alive that is joyful, you know?”
Bowie and Iman met on a blind date in Los Angeles in 1990. Two years later, on June 6, 1992, the couple married in Florence, Italy. In an interview with People in November 2021, Iman reflected on how she ended up in Los Angeles, despite never wanting to live in the city. “I had never intended to move there,” she said. “It’s not one of my favorite places. It’s so vast, but I personally believe now that was my destiny. My destiny was calling me to get there so I could meet David.”
Iman continued, “David said it was love at first sight. It took me a few months, but I got there.” She also discussed how the man she knew was not the musician and his persona; it was the person. “I knew him as the man, David Jones, his real name. And not the rock star,” he said.
Iman Pays Tribute to David Bowie After His Passing
Iman felt Bowie had charisma and was handsome, but more than anything, she was drawn to his kindness. “Early on, we were walking down the street and my shoelace came undone and he got on his knees to tie it for me and I thought he’s the one,” she said.
Iman has never remarried, and she has continued to honor Bowie’s memory publicly. On what would have been their wedding anniversary on April 24, she paid tribute to him on Instagram with four throwback photos. “And I’d still choose you again and again and again for eternity,” she wrote. “April 24th anniversary.”
In January, Iman got a tattoo in honor of Bowie, and on his heavenly birthday on January 8, she penned a heartfelt message on Instagram. “Jan 8th Happy Heavenly Birthday. Your light burns so bright in all our hearts! We love and miss you,” Iman wrote. Fans flooded the comment section with supportive messages.
Alexandria also remembered her father on what would have been his birthday. On Instagram she shared a throwback photo of them, and she is holding a birthday cake. “Da big 79 today. Happy birthday pops, miss ya!” she wrote.
