Betsey Johnson is a huge influence on my life. Her youthful approach to fashion includes many sweetheart cuts on her dresses, sequins, tutus and glitter. Betsey Johnson represents everything that I want to become. Born in 1942, she is 67 years old and is still cartwheeling down the runway. She is not letting age get in the way of her passion and is still designing new seasons of clothes. Betsey Johnson truly is an American Icon to me and many young girls everywhere. I personally love Betsey Johnson and wore one of her masterpieces to prom last year. She influences many young designers and encourages everyone to stay youthful and always wear pink.
Anthony Kiedis is a part of one of my favorite bands of all time, The Red Hot Chili Peppers. While I must make this clear right off the bat, I am in no way musically inclined, nor do I consider myself to have a voice in any contrast to his, let alone at all. But, after reading Scar Tissue I developed a new love for Anthony and RHCP all together. Anthony was always a troubled child, he started smoking marijuana at a young age and got into trouble a lot. In the book, there are a lot of graphic scenes, some sexual, some drug related, but he is such an amazing storyteller and man in general. Anthony I think is truly an icon to the music industry and to many people who are struggling through hard times. Kiedis and the Chili Peppers started out as a P. Funk band in the 70's and is now one of the best rock n' roll bands out there, still pumping out tons of great hits with their last record "Stadium Arcadium". Some of Red Hot Chili Peppers' major influences were Sly Stone, David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix, Iggy Pop, Van Halen and George Clinton.The main reason that Anthony Kiedis is one of my icons for the American Icons Project, is because the simple reason that he proved he can work through a hard time, while still doing what he loved. Anthony Kiedis completely turned his life around, while I can't relate on the level that he was on, I do apply it to how I handle my own situations. Heavily into drugs, he realized that sober living was the way to live, he has been sober since late 2000 to early 2001. The reason that he is so iconic to me is that he can take a dark time in his past, and find a way to fix it, to change his life, while still performing and creating. That to me is iconic.
He saw the Spiders from Mars, he had a love affair with Jean Genie, and he floated in a most peculiar way. He is David Bowie. David Bowie is a musical sensation. He has inspired the work of many musicians and bands alike. Bowie was heavily influenced by Andy Warhol, Bob Dylan and especially Lou Reed from the Velvet Underground, and Iggy Pop from the Stooges. He has collaborated with Queen, John Lennon, Mick Jagger, Brian Eno and many others. He brought a new feminine look to the world with his different personalities like Ziggy Stardust who is pictured to the left of this text. David Bowie is the epitome of glam rock and ultimate stage presence for his genre of music. Releasing Space Oddity in 1969, he started his mass movement of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, a place called Suffragette City, a girl called Jean Genie and an astronaut named Major Tom.
David Bowie is an icon to America because ultimately of his success. He broke out of the scene as a completely new act, a new make up and tights wearing boy at the young age of 22. He not only has made dozens of hit songs and records, he also starred in the cult-classic the Labyrinth by Jim Henson. The Man Who Fell to Earth, Just a Gigolo and The Hunger are all movies that Bowie has had roles in. He has heavily impacted the musical industry and as well as the film industry with his out of this world (literally) roles, costumes, songs and movies.
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