Question: For what role did the singer of Seeking Major Tom become a cultural icon for?
Context: Major Tom is a fictional astronaut referenced in David Bowie's songs "Space Oddity", "Ashes to Ashes", "Hallo Spaceboy", "New Killer Star" music video and "Blackstar".  Bowie's own interpretation of the character evolved throughout his career.  "Space Oddity" (1969) depicts an astronaut who casually slips the bonds of the world to journey beyond the stars.  In the song "Ashes to Ashes" (1980), Bowie reinterprets Major Tom as an oblique autobiographical symbol for himself.  Major Tom is described as a "junkie, strung out in heavens high, hitting an all-time low".  This lyric was interpreted as a play on the title of Bowie's album "Low" (1977), which charted his withdrawal following his drug abuse in the United States.  Additionally, the choked and self-recriminating tone used in the lyrics "Time and again I tell myself I'll stay clean tonight."  reinforces an autobiographical and retrospective interpretation.  A short time later, there is another reversal of Major Tom's original withdrawal, turning 'outwards' or towards space. Victoria Melody is a British visual and performance artist and theatre-maker.  Inspired by ethnography, she immerses herself in different communities and 'becomes an active participant in their rituals as research for her work.'  The worlds she has explored so far include pigeon fancying, Northern Soul dancing, beauty pageants and dog shows.  Writing in The Oxford Mail in June 2013, Katherine McAlister described Melody as 'as a real-life Louis Theroux who gets her hands dirty...Earlier this year you could find Victoria spray-tanned and manicured in her attempt to become Mrs Glamour UK, as well as waking at 5am to begin her dog Major Tom’s arduous training schedule in their bid to win Crufts, all of which culminates in her...show Major Tom.' Big Tex is a 55-foot (16 m) tall statue and marketing icon of the annual State Fair of Texas held at Fair Park in Dallas, Texas.  The figure has become a cultural icon of Dallas and Texas.  Since 1952 Big Tex has served as a cultural ambassador to visitors, and the statue's prime location in the fairgrounds serves as a traditional meeting point. MTV Icon was a series of annual television specials produced by MTV between 2001 and 2004, each paying homage to a musical artist or band selected as a cultural icon, in a format similar to the network's annual Video Music Awards and Movie Awards events.  A live audience of musicians, celebrities, and fans would view a biographical film depicting the career of that year's chosen icon, interspersed by celebrity introductions and live performances of popular artists playing cover versions of the icon's songs.  The iconic artist would then accept an award and perform a live set of their own at the close of the show.  The series celebrated Janet Jackson in 2001, Aerosmith in 2002, Metallica in 2003, and The Cure in 2004. "Mrs. Major Tom" is a song by electronic music artist K.I.A., released in 2003 on the album "Adieu Shinjuku Zulu".  It retells the story of Major Tom, from David Bowie's "Space Oddity," "Ashes to Ashes", and "Hallo Spaceboy," and Peter Schilling's "Major Tom (Coming Home) Major Tom songs, but now from the perspective of the wife left at home.  The vocalist featured on the song is Larissa Gomes.  The song also appears as track 2 on the album "DXLR8 - Downtempo 'Best Of' K.I.A. & Shinjuku Zulu", released in 2008.  The song is also covered by Sheryl Crow on William Shatner's album "Seeking Major Tom". William Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor, author, producer, and director.  In his seven decades of television, Shatner became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T. Kirk, Captain of the USS "Enterprise", in the "Star Trek" franchise.  He has written a series of books chronicling his experiences playing Captain Kirk and being a part of "Star Trek", and has co-written several novels set in the "Star Trek" universe.  He has written a series of science fiction novels called "TekWar", which were adapted for television. Seeking Major Tom is the fourth studio album by William Shatner.  It was released October 11, 2011 in the US by Cleopatra Records.  The album features many noted musicians, including Sheryl Crow, John Wetton, Patrick Moraz, Ritchie Blackmore, Alan Parsons, Peter Frampton, Warren Haynes, Nick Valensi, Zakk Wylde, Mike Inez, Chris Adler, Steve Hillage, Steve Howe, Michael Schenker, Dave Davies, Johnny Winter, Brad Paisley, Bootsy Collins, Carmine Appice, Ian Paice, and Toots.  The titular Major Tom in question is the one created by David Bowie. A cultural icon is an artifact that is identified by members of a culture as representative of that culture.  The process of identification is subjective, and "icons" are judged by the extent to which they can be seen as an authentic proxy of that culture.  When individuals perceive a cultural icon, they relate it to their general perceptions of the cultural identity represented.  Cultural icons can also be identified as an authentic representation of the practices of one culture by another. Kirby Ian Andersen is a visual artist and musician from Toronto.  He does painting, sculpture, and installation work under the name K.I.A. His art shows have been reviewed by RM Vaughan in "The Globe and Mail", and Peter Goddard in the "Toronto Star".  He has exhibited in Canada, Japan, and the United States.  He records music under the name Shinjuku Zulu as well as "K.I.A." The Shinjuku Zulu album received four-star reviews from the music reviewers for the Globe and Mail (Robert Everett-Green) and Montreal Gazette (T'Cha Dunlevy).  The song "Mrs. Major Tom", first released on the K.I.A. album "Adieu Shinjuku Zulu", was covered by Sheryl Crow on the album "Seeking Major Tom" by William Shatner.  Songs by Shinjuku Zulu and K.I.A. have appeared in American films and television programmes such as "Resurrecting the Champ", "America's Next Top Model", and "Paris Hilton's My New BFF" among others. "Major Tom (Coming Home)" (German: "Major Tom (Völlig Losgelöst)" , translation: "Major Tom (completely detached)"), is a song by singer Peter Schilling from his album "Error in the System".  With a character unofficially related to "Major Tom", the protagonist of David Bowie's 1969 song "Space Oddity", the song is about the character being caught in an accident in space.
Answer: James T. Kirk