Later Career
Odam was invited to appear on other programs but these were canceled because of a musicians' strike that halted live television performances. By the time the strike was over, his 15 minutes of fame had lapsed. Historian Rob Weiner of Texas Tech University considers Odam's musical career "a product of desperation," a result of the adage that "there is nothing to do in Lubbock". "Paralyzed" went on to be featured on several Doctor Demento compilations, and it often appears prominently in lists of the worst recordings ever made.
Odam has continued recording intermittently since "Paralyzed" and released several albums and singles. "I Took a Trip on a Gemini Spaceship" was covered by longtime fan David Bowie on his Heathen album. Odam returned the compliment by recording his version of "Space Oddity". Bowie himself has said that the term "stardust" in "Ziggy Stardust" is taken from The Legendary Stardust Cowboy.
A documentary of Odam's career, entitled Cotton Pickin’ Smash! The Story of the Legendary Stardust Cowboy, was prepared during the late 1980s. It remains unreleased commercially but is occasionally viewed non-commercially.
Odam currently resides in San Jose, California, and still performs regularly. Since the late 1990s Odam has played with a backing band called the Altamont Boys, which includes bassist Klaus Flouride (of the Dead Kennedys), guitarist Jay Rosen, and drummer Joey Meyers. In May 2007, he played at the David Bowie High-Line festival in New York City at Bowie's invitation. Weiner said that Odam has never returned to perform in Lubbock, having believed that his hometown, where he first gained experience by playing in parking lots to draw an audience, offered him little encouragement.
College radio station KMSU in Mankato, Minnesota flew the Legendary Stardust Cowboy and his band to Mankato in May of 2010 for a show, at which the Mayor declared, officially, that May 21 is "Legendary Stardust Cowboy Day" in Mankato, Minnesota. Mankato has emerged as a "Mecca" for Legendary Stardust Cowboy fans, perhaps 2nd only to San Francisco, California.
In late 2011, The Legendary Stardust Cowboy released an anthology of his life's work, a double CD on Cherry Red Records from England, titled "For Sarah, Raquel, and David: An Anthology". The first names refer to Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, Raquel Welch, actress, and performing artist David Bowie, all longtime fans of The Ledge's work. Rumors of a European tour abound.
Read more about this topic: Legendary Stardust Cowboy
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