A Riddle of Many Faces

Question

I have been many things in my life. Specifically, and in order, a monkey, a knife, a junkie, an alien, a lunatic, a cat, an aristocrat, a clown, and finally, an earthling.

What or who am I, and what do each of these things refer to?

Hints:

1. The first was eponymous, the second a change, the third an explorer, the fourth an idol. The fifth just a lad, the sixth quite cool, the seventh pale and waifish, the eighth fond of ashes, the last a technophile.

2. My left is big, my right changes size.

3. Little Liza, Gnome, Andy Warhol, Starman, Drive-in, Big Brother, It's not the side effects, Little green, I'm afraid.

Answer 1

The answer is

David Bowie

And the justification is:

The varying stage characters created by Bowie over the years.

1. a monkey, & eponymous & Little Liza

   His first stage name was Davy Jones, which also was the stage name of David Thomas "Davy" Jones of the Monkees; his first song was "Liza Jane"

2. a knife, & a change & Gnome

   Then he changed his stage name to David Bowie, like the Bowie knife called after American frontiersman Jim Bowie; song "The Laughing Gnome"

3. a junkie, & an explorer & Andy Warhol

   astronaut and space explorer Major Tom; the line "We know Major Tom's a junkie" occurs in the later song "Ashes to ashes"; Song "Andy Warhol" on "Hunky Dory";

4. an alien, & an idol & Starman

   Ziggy Stardust= rock star and idol; album "Ziggy Stardust"; song "Starman";

5. a lunatic, & a lad & Drive-in

   Aladdin Sane = "A Lad Insane"; the album includes the song "Drive-In Saturday"

6. a cat, & quite cool & Big Brother

   Halloween Jack is "a real cool cat"; album "Diamond Dogs" with song "Big Brother";

7. an aristocrat, & pale and waifish & It's not the side effects

   The "Thin White Duke" on "Station to station"; "It's not the side effects of the cocaine / I'm thinking that it must be love";

8. a clown, & fond of ashes & Little green

   The music video of "Ashes to Ashes" featured Bowie dressed up as a Pierrot clown; "Ashes to Ashes" contains the line "But the little green wheels are following me"

9. and finally, an earthling & a technophile & I'm afraid

   "I'm Afraid of Americans" on Bowie's techno album "Earthling"

Finally, hint 2 with "My left is big, my right changes size" refers to

the permanently dilated pupil in Bowie's left eye.