On This Day, June 16, 1972 …

David Bowie released The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. The album featured such future Bowie classics as “Starman” and “Suffragette City.”

The tale of a bisexual alien rock star sent to save mankind initially received mixed reviews, but was later hailed as one of the greatest, most influential albums of all time.

Bowie remained in character as Ziggy for his Ziggy Stardust Tour, with his final performance in character taking place July 3, 1973, at London’s Odeon Theater.

To mark the 50th anniversary of that final performance, a special world premiere screening of a restored version of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars: The Motion Picture is set to happen July 3 at London’s Eventim Apollo Hammersmith, which was formerly the Odeon. The event will be livestreamed in theaters in the U.K. and Europe, with worldwide screenings planned throughout July.

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