Me and Mr. Jones

My Life with David Bowie and the Spiders from Mars

Suzi Ronson

"Captures the thrilling era when the rock ‘n’ roll starman took flight—and the moment those in his orbit crashed back to Earth." –– PEOPLE

A luminescent memoir from the stylist who created David's iconic Ziggy Stardust look, painting a dazzling picture of Bowie and the wild world of his entourage during this pivotal moment in pop history.

From the stylist behind David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust look, an electrifying memoir taking readers behind the curtains during a legendary chapter of pop culture history.

Suzi Ronson was working in an English hair salon in the early 1970s when Mrs. Jones came in for her weekly shampoo and set. After being introduced to her son, David, and his wife, Angie, she soon finds herself at the Bowies' bohemian apartment and embroiled in their raucous world.

Having crafted his iconic Ziggy Stardust hairstyle, Suzi becomes the only working woman in David's touring party and joins The Spiders from Mars as they perform around the globe. Amid the costume blunders, parties, and groupies she meets her husband-to-be, Mick Ronson, and together they traverse the absurdities of life in rock & roll, falling in with the likes of Iggy Pop, Bob Dylan, and Lou Reed along the way.

Dazzling and intimate in equal measure, Me and Mr. Jones provides not only a unique perspective into one of the most beguiling stars in the history of pop music but also of a world on the cusp of cultural transformation.

Suzi Ronson is an author, songwriter, and former hairdresser and stylist. At fifteen, she enrolled in the Evelyn Paget College of Hair and Beauty, going on to become David Bowie’s stylist after helping create his iconic Ziggy Stardust hairstyle. She traveled the world with Bowie as his hairdresser, stylist, and confidante. Ronson has also worked with Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, and John Mellencamp. She divides her time between London and New York.

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Endorsements & Reviews

"Captures the thrilling era when the rock 'n' roll starman took flight –– and the moment those in his orbit crashed back to Earth." PEOPLE

"In 1971, as a hairdresser in a suburb of London, Suzi Ronson styled one Mrs. Jones––and met the woman's son, David Bowie. Here, Ronson's memoir of creating his iconic Ziggy Stardust look, falling in love with his bandmate Mick, and life backstage." Vanity Fair

“Considering the vast number of books published every year about David Bowie, a new one had better have either fresh info or fresh insights. Thankfully, Me and Mr. Jones delivers on both counts. Ronson spent just a year in Bowie’s orbit, but it was close and intense. A first-hand view of the glory and brutality that comes with a rapid rise to stardom.” Variety

“A candid memoir by the stylist who helped create the singer’s Ziggy look offers a vivid snapshot of his golden years.” The Guardian

“In Me and Mr. Jones, Suzi Ronson captures the origins of Bowie’s Ziggy persona in glittering detail. In her thoroughly engrossing memoir, Ronson shares one raucous episode after another as the globetrotting musicians and their fish-out-of-water hairdresser crisscross the globe.” Salon

"Me and Mr. Jones is written in a present tense that often breathlessly recaptures the young Ronson's naïveté. Although Ronson doesn't mention the day's feminist movement, the book's through line is her awareness of how the rock scene regarded women. Me and Mr. Jones is for Bowie aficionados but also for anyone interested in the unsung women who made classic-rock stars shine brighter." Shelf Awareness

"An enjoyable insider account of Bowie’s wild Spiders from Mars years." Booklist

"This memoir shows how Ronson used enthusiasm, quick thinking, and luck to parlay a chance meeting with Bowie’s mother, Peggy Jones, in the early ’70s into a significant role in crafting and presenting Ziggy Stardust’s style to the world. It’s a rock and roll life as dizzyingly magical and chaotic as one would imagine." Library Journal

"A memoir from the stylist who created David Bowie’s iconic Ziggy Stardust look. An entertaining glam-rock portrait.” Kirkus Reviews

"Suzi Ronson was there as Bowie transitioned from suburban folkie to world superstar and genius. Few can offer such insight, and tell this fascinating story with such verve." Hanif Hureishi, playwright, novelist, and filmmaker