The world was shocked in January 2016 when David Bowie died aged 69, just two days after the release of his final album, Blackstar. Now his longtime producer, Tony Visconti, has revealed the emotional moment Bowie shared the news of his liver cancer diagnosis.
Visconti, who worked with Bowie for five decades, recalled arriving at Bowie's office to find a staff member in tears. Bowie, wearing a woolly cap and with no eyebrows, sat down and Visconti immediately realised the truth. 'I started mumbling things like 'don't worry, we will get through this',' Visconti said. 'He came to my side of the table and started hugging me.'
The musicians on Blackstar were initially kept in the dark. Before recording began, Bowie removed his cap to reveal he was bald from chemotherapy. Keyboardist Jason Lindner noted Bowie's professionalism: 'He didn't want to focus on his illness. He wanted to focus on the music.' The track 'I Can't Give Everything Away' is widely seen as a reflection on his disease.
Bowie's final chapter is the subject of a new documentary, Bowie: The Final Act, covering his career from Ziggy Stardust to his triumphant Glastonbury headline set in 2000. However, promoter John Giddings revealed that Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis was initially reluctant to book Bowie after a 1990s drum 'n' bass performance that lacked classic hits.
Despite that, Bowie eventually headlined the festival to over 250,000 fans, cementing his legacy as one of music's greatest icons.
