Who
  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Style
  • Health
  • Beauty
  • Sexiest People
  • The Travel List
  • streaming
  • Video
Who
  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Style
  • Health
  • Beauty
  • Sexiest People
  • The Travel List
  • streaming
  • Video
Subscribe
  1. Home
  2. Celebrity

Why David Bowie Had Two Coloured Eyes

How interesting is this! - by Rhys McKay
  • 25 Mar 2019

Who Was David Bowie?

David Bowie was one of the world’s most influential musicians. He pioneered a lot of glam rock and pop music in the 70s, and his groundbreaking influence can be still be felt in music produced today. His unique style of performing mesmerized and entertained fans all across the globe.

Throughout his illustrious career, he earned five platinum and nine gold certifications, as well as releasing eleven number-one albums and being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. David Bowie remained active in the music scene until his death in 2016, two days after he released his last album.

Why David Bowie Had Two Coloured Eyes

David Bowie was a very interesting looking person, owing mostly to his flamboyant fashion style, but also because of a very unique feature he had: David Bowie had two different coloured eyes.

Why were David Bowie’s eyes two different colours?

If you take a look at any close up photo of David Bowie, you will see that his right eye was blue, while his left eye looked to be a darker green. Although rare, it is possible to have two completely different coloured eyes from birth, due to a condition called heterochromia. What’s interesting is that David Bowie’s eye colour is not a result of this genetic condition.

David Bowie had a different eye condition, called anisocoria, which means that his pupils were actually different sizes. This is not because of a genetic condition, but rather an eye injury that the famous musician sustained in his youth.

This condition gave David Bowie his unique and striking appearance. The story of how he got the now signature ‘David Bowie eyes’ is a fairly interesting one.

david bowi

While studying in Bromley Technical High School in 1962, David Bowie got into a fistfight with his friend, George Underwood, over a girl. George punched Bowie directly in the left eye. The wounded young David Bowie was then sent to a hospital to be operated on.

Bowie was hospitalized for four months and had multiple operations on his left eye, but ultimately, the doctors deemed that the damage to Bowie’s eye would never be repaired fully, and he was left with a permanently dilated left pupil and faulty depth perception.

The punch thrown by George Underwood scratched Bowie’s eyeball and left his pupil in a fixed open position, meaning that his left eye no longer responded to stimulation from light, while his right eye remained healthy.

This permanent dilation of his pupil gave David Bowie the illusion of having two different eye colours because his left eye looked significantly darker than his bright blue right eye. This ‘deformity’ actually turned into Bowie's most recognisable feature.

How did his eyes affect David Bowie’s career?

Though George Underwood had seriously damaged David Bowie’s eye, the two remained friends, and even played in different bands together, until Underwood turned away from music to focus on painting and graphic design, even designing the artwork for Bowie’s early albums.

Bowie did not bear a grudge on Underwood, and even apparently thanked him for the iconic eye injury, saying that it gave him “a kind of mystique.” His unique eyes contributed a lot to his public image and brand.
Making it as a musician in the 1970s was no easy task and many talented musicians failed before Bowie himself. However, due to a combination of his innovative music, his flamboyant style, and of course, his trademark eyes, Bowie was able to carve out a niche and find success in an incredibly competitive industry.

David Bowie’s striking eyes complemented his odd style and lent a shocking, almost otherworldly quality to his iconic posters and album covers. David Bowie was mysterious and appealing to a world that was primed for change. Combined with his innovative and new music, David Bowie quickly became a household name and one of the most influential musicians of all time.

In his old age, David Bowie still retained his differently coloured eyes. Even though his red-blonde hair had turned grey, his eyes remained as striking as ever, providing him with the same air of mystique made him so famous in his youth.

Rhys McKay

Subscribe to Who magazine-& save!

Subscribe Now
Subscribe to Who magazine

Subscribe to Who magazine-& save!

Subscribe Now
Subscribe to Who magazine

Recommended to you

Louis Tomlinson Calls James Corden Out
Watch 0:36

Louis Tomlinson Calls James Corden Out

{headline}

{headline}

Cheers to the TV WEEK Logie Awards winners for 2022!

Cheers to the TV WEEK Logie Awards winners for 2022!

Seven kids, four mothers: Jimmy Barnes and his children

Seven kids, four mothers: Jimmy Barnes and his children

Local stars dazzle on the TV WEEK Logies red carpet

Local stars dazzle on the TV WEEK Logies red carpet

Full glam! Stars get ready for the 2022 TV WEEK Logie Awards

Full glam! Stars get ready for the 2022 TV WEEK Logie Awards

{headline}

{headline}

Reality TV and a drug conviction: Meet Lara Worthington's brother

Reality TV and a drug conviction: Meet Lara Worthington's brother

The out and proud LGBTQIA+ celebs that inspire us the most

The out and proud LGBTQIA+ celebs that inspire us the most

All the best international guests who attended the TV WEEK Logies

All the best international guests who attended the TV WEEK Logies

{headline}

{headline}

Local and international stars wow at Elvis premiere in Sydney

Local and international stars wow at Elvis premiere in Sydney

Baby love: All the celebrity babies born in 2022

Baby love: All the celebrity babies born in 2022

The Logies are back for 2022! Here's how to watch them

The Logies are back for 2022! Here's how to watch them

Celebrities react to Johnny Depp's win over Amber Heard

Celebrities react to Johnny Depp's win over Amber Heard

Sophie Monk's adorable TV moment with her new husband

Sophie Monk's adorable TV moment with her new husband

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's contrasting words after his court win

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's contrasting words after his court win

EXCLUSIVE: Darren McMullen labels Celebrity Apprentice co-star a “snake”

EXCLUSIVE: Darren McMullen labels Celebrity Apprentice co-star a “snake”

Who
  • About Us
  • Subscribe Today
  • Contact Us
  • Terms
  • Privacy
Who Magazine Subscribe
  • About Us
  • Subscribe Today
  • Contact Us
  • Terms
  • Privacy

Brands

  • Beauty Crew
  • Home Beautiful
  • marie claire
  • Bounty Parents

Our Network

  • Better Homes and Gardens
  • BHG Shop
  • New Idea food
  • New Idea
  • Girlfriend
  • That’s Life
  • All Recipes
  • Practical Parenting
  • 7plus
  • 7News
  • Sunrise
  • Starts at 60
  • The West Australian
  • Perth Now
  • 7mate
  • 7Sport
  • Hard to Find
© 2022 Are Media PTY LTD
All products are independently selected, tested or recommended by our team of experts.If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Get more from Who

Magazine Subscription Offer

Subscribe to Who magazine-& save!

Shop This Offer
Subscribe to Who magazine