HOW DAVID JONES became DAVID BOWIE

"They're not going to make a Monkee out of me," David Jones joked. The Brit from Brixton was referring to Davy Jones, popular lead singer.

And so the budding superstar and spaceman thought about a new last name.

One of his favorite movies was "The Alamo." He thought about how he could create a new image, and wear an exciting new outfit if he was...

His manager said, "Hold that thought. "The Alamo" was a good picture, but the Yanks lost to Santa-Anna. Everybody was killed, including Bowie, Crockett and Travis. Is there another old movie or vintage star that has influenced you?

David Jones thought about it. He imagined...

His manager scoffed: "Too Ian Whitcomb, my dear. Try again. Think about a movie star you'd LOVE to emulate!"

David thought about it.

"Maybe you could get away with that in a few years, but not NOW," the manager said.

David Jones went back to his original idea of copping a name from "The Alamo" movie.

Crockett!

No, there already was a David Crockett, wasn't there?

BOWIE! THAT'S IT!

And so it was. Really. Not so much because of Jim Bowie but the actor who played him: the thin, sandy-haired but often psychopathic Richard Widmark.

Widmark...angular, cruel, sexy...and he sure did cut it as Jim Bowie.

And that's pretty much how David Jones became David Bowie.

Give or take a Photoshop or two. Or three.

"David Bowie!" If he'd just named himself afer the film, he could've been "David Alamo." He could've chosen another movie from that era and become "David Psycho."

Or "David Exodus?" Hmmm, too Jewish.

Over the years, David Bowie would make himself over into other identities, like Ziggy Stardust, Aladdin Sane, and The Thin White Duke. Not to mention Anthony Newley.

Upon his death, various unlikely stars, from Madonna to Marilyn Manson instantly drew the spotlight to themselves by declaring, "If it wasn't for David Bowie, I wouldn't be here."

Sad, isn't it? They should be honest and name themselves Madonna Bowie and Marilyn Manson Bowie. And let everyone know the name goes back to Jim Bowie...so that those two might be overrun by angry Mexican soldiers and put out of our misery.