In the song “Space Oddity”, we hear the tale of Major Tom. Bowie would refer to him again in “Ashes to Ashes” (“We know Major Tom’s a junkie”). Peter Schilling would sing about him in “Major Tom (coming home)”. Has there been any other instances where something like this has happened? That is, a character is created in one song and then appears in other songs, whether by the same artist or not.
Taxi and Sequel by the late,great Harry Chapin come to mind.
Also, Troglodyte and The Bertha Butt Boogie by The Jimmy Castor Bunch.
Chris W
PS If you REEEAALLY want a stretch, Glass Onion by the Beatles makes references to The Fool On The Hill and the walrus.
If I’m not mistaken, Jesse’s Girl was a follow-up to an earlier song where Jesse was singing about how much in love she was. But I may be mistaken.
There were the “Annie” songs by Hank Ballard and the Midnighters: Work With Me Annie and Annie Had a Baby.
Peggy Sue and Peggy Sue Got Married by Buddy Holly.
It’s My Party and Judy’s Turn to Cry by Leslie Gore.
And, of course, all the Snoopy songs by the Royal Guardsmen (but they didn’t create the character, obviously).
Oh, THIS category again?
Well, once again, theres…
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The Kinks’ “Destroyer,” which resurrected Lola.
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Rick Nelson’s “Garden Party” alludes to Mary Lou (as in his oldie hit, “Hello Mary Lou, Goodbye Heart”).
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In 1973, Ringo Starr mentioned Billy Shears, his alter ego from “Sgt. Pepper,” on the song “I’m the Greatest.”
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In “Love That Never Dies,” Roger McGuinn alludes to “Mr. Tambourine Man,” his old hit with the Byrds (“throw a dime to the tambourine man, and kiss all the horses goodbye”).
And in the incredibly obscure category we have:
The ‘Messenger’ in Queen’s
“The Seven Seas of Rhye”
and
“Lily of the Valley”
Falco made two songs about Jeanny: “Jeanny” and “Coming Home (Jeanny part 2)”.
It has been suggested that the Talking Heads Mr. Jones is a lighthearted follow-up to Dylan’s Mr. Jones from Ballad of a Thin Man.
Is Judy from Belle and Sebastian’s Judy and the Dream of Horses the same Judy from Judy is a Dick Slap?
Charlotte from “Charlotte the Harlot” and “22 Acacia Avenue”, both by Iron Maiden
By NOFX: Liza and Louise, Liza, and Louise.
Jack and Diane, those two American kids growin’ up in the heartland, don’t seem as happy as they once were (no longer holding on to 16, I suppose) when Mellencamp looked in on them again in Eden Is Burning.
Sir Rhosis
In Ben Folds Five Cigarette, we hear about one Fred Jones, who reappears on the Ben Folds solo album, in Fred Jones, Pt. 2.
Although not named, throughout the Weezer album Pinkerton, we keep hearing about an asian girl, which may or may not be the same character.
Bob Dylan’s Southern Man being mentioned in Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Sweet Home Alabama.
There is a reference to Mr. Jones on the White Album. I think the name of the song is Yer Blues; John Lennon sings, “Feel so suicidal, just like Dylan’s Mr. Jones.”
And there is also the Counting Crows song “Mr. Jones” which references Bob Dylan by name and is (I think) intended to be about the same character as the Dylan song.
“Southern Man” was by Neil Young, not Bob Dylan. “And I hope Neil Young will remember/a southern man don’t need him around anyhow!”
Robert Hunter, Grateful Dead lyricist, has written some solo songs that refer to old folk song chartacters such as Stagger Lee, Pretty Peggy-O, and so on. Incidentially, the Dead did their own versions of both “Stagger Lee” and “Peggy-O.”
Phish has a whole bunch of songs set in the fictional land of Gamehendge. Some of the characters include Tela, Colonel Forbin, Rutherford the Brave, and Wilson.
And later, John Lennon reminds us in “God” that he was the Walrus.
Well, there’s By-Tor, from the song “By-Tor and the Snow Dog” by Rush – he would return on the next album to defeat “The Necromancer”.
And there’s that kid named Tommy that appeared in just about every song on that Who album released in 1969…I forget the title of it tho. 
I’ve noticed a lot of songs seem to be about people named Johnny . . . Angry Johnny, Who’s Johnny, Johnny B Good, and Devil Came Down To Georgia* spring to mind. Not quite the same, but still something I couldn’t help but notice
The Rock, reated by Duane Johnson.
Pras sings about him in “It Doesn’t Matter”
Then The Rock himself chants and rap in “Pie”. Ironically, it probably helped the album hit #2 on Billboard.
Chuck Berry admits that Johnny B. Goode charactrer is more or less himself. The fiddling Johnny is a different character, but shares Goode’s dedication of being the master at something.
Mr Big. He was sung about in “Down Low” by R. Kelly. Then played by Isley, he toally dissed R. Kelly over the phone for leaving his goddaughter in Monica’s “Why”.