Goodbye, Dear Starman xxx
The news that my life-long hero had died came not long after the passing of my lovely old friend, Peter. Early in the morning, listening to the local radio to catch the traffic update, I was listening to opinions about the usual fascinating topics; car parking, fuel prices and dog mess when the presenter casually mentioned that news had just come in that British singer-songwriter …..(road noise and poor reception) had died. The name was said quickly and without much emphasis – so surely he didn’t say ‘David Bowie’! I turned up the radio in preparation for the next news and was gutted to hear it confirmed.
It was a weird day, blundering through the induction programme at my new job whilst locked in a mind-loop with a snippet from Five Years, “News guy wept and told us Earth was really dying”. I suppose I felt that this particular news should have been delivered with more importance – not just thrown in the gap between the petty complaints and the traffic jams. I am so sorry for his family and hate to think he was ill for eighteen months and we (the public) knew nothing of his suffering.
The radio tributes during the journey home … his voice on my favourite records being played that day were difficult yet compelling to listen to. I was taken back to the first time I saw him on TV. ‘Top of the Pops’ was on and I must have been about five and not really interested until Space Oddity came on with that video! Mesmerised, I fell in love with him during those few minutes and have been captivated by him and his work ever since.
During that early phase when he supposedly lived on green peppers and white powder I used to fear that he would die young, but in later years and happily married to Iman, he glowed with health and appeared always at ease … kind and humble with a slightly wacky and contagious sense of humour. I decided he would live to a grand old age and so the news of his passing came as a shock, and a sense of losing someone who had been with me always. Of course he still is here as I knew him. I still have his music and videos, which is all I ever did have. Thanks for the memories, dear David xxx
Bowie will be here forever on the earth plane owing to the wonderful legacy he has left us, and I expect he has already adapted to the afterlife and is fitting beautifully into His scheme of things.
Word on a Whim 
I know what you mean about the shock of something presumed to be around for ever suddenly being… gone. I was walking to work when it happened, I got a text saying “David Bowie died!” Of course, I replied straight away with a ‘F*ck off!’ but sadly the news was confirmed when I got into the office.
I wasn’t a massive fan in my younger days. I was aware of him (of course) but when I was younger I was into different music. It’s only in the past few years, discovering the genius of his back catalogue and properly appreciating his song writing and story telling, that I’ve grown to really like him. I ended up re-watching the ‘Five Years’ documentary on BBC2 the other day (it’s on catch up if you have Sky – recommended!)
Thanks for a lovely post. x
Dear Simon, I missed out on most of the other music because I only tended to listen to Bowie songs … over and over again. In recent years I have begun to appreciate the other good music that I ignored – probably some of the bands you were listening to. But there’s very little new music I can get enthusiastic about. I guess that’s down to my age xxx