David Bowie eye color

Despite popular belief, David Bowie did not have different colored eyes - both of his irises were actually blue (source, source). What made his eyes appear different was a condition called anisocoria, which caused his left pupil to be permanently dilated (source).

The Story Behind His Distinctive Look

The condition resulted from a teenage fight in January 1962 with his friend George Underwood over a girl. During the altercation, Underwood's fingernail scratched Bowie's eye, paralyzing the muscles that control the iris (source). This injury required four months of hospital treatment and left Bowie with poor depth perception (source).

The Medical Condition

Anisocoria caused Bowie's left pupil to remain permanently dilated, while his right pupil functioned normally. Because the left pupil was so large, it appeared darker against his natural blue iris, creating the illusion of heterochromia (different colored eyes) (source). This distinctive feature became one of his most recognizable characteristics, adding to his otherworldly appearance during his Ziggy Stardust era (source).

Legacy

Interestingly, Bowie later thanked Underwood for the injury that became one of his most notorious features (source). The two remained friends throughout their lives, with Underwood even designing album covers for Bowie's legendary albums Hunky Dory and Ziggy Stardust (source).