In fact , he had killed off his Ziggy persona but not his music career .
The phrasing was deliberately ambiguous , but most of the audience and many newspapers and magazines took it to mean that Bowie was retiring from music .
Bowie had killed off Bowie 's Ziggy persona but not his music career .
The phrasing was deliberately ambiguous , but most of the audience and many newspapers and magazines took it to mean that Bowie was retiring from music .