Happy Birthday Bowie

Now Playing celebrates David Bowie's birthday with a listener led playlist inspired by the Thin White Duke. One of the most influential figures in music, David Bowie has excited, inspired, baffled and bewildered his fans in equal measure over his remarkable four decade career.

Displaying a chameleon like talent for reinvention, Bowie has experimented with every musical genre imaginable, from pop and rock via electronica, jazz and even drum n bass. Cited as an influence on every major rock musician over the last 20 years, Bowie's talismanic presence has cast a vast shadow over popular music. His musical silence since 2004's Reality LP only adds to his mystique.

As he celebrates his 65th birthday on 8 January, Now Playing doffs its cap to everything Bowie related, asking the 6 Music audience to curate a playlist of tracks related to the Thin White Duke, from influences, influencees, collaborators and conspirators alongside B-sides, rarities and defining moments.

There's also the first Digital Digest of 2012, we delve into the #now playing stream and, in the final thirty minutes, another blog takes over the show using the #blog6music hashtag.