David Bowie Made His Death An 'Artistic Event'

11 January 2016

David Bowie made his death a musical "event" by releasing his final LP 'Blackstar' just two days before his passing.

David Bowie

The music icon died on Sunday (10.01.16) following an 18-month battle with liver cancer. leaving his family, friends and music lovers all over the world in a state of shock.

Last Friday (08.01.16), Bowie unveiled his 25th studio album which contains several songs dealing with theme of mortality and producer Tony Visconti has confirmed he made the record as a "parting gift" for his fans and wanted his death to be a "work of art".

Showbiz expert and BANG Showbiz owner Rick Sky - who interviewed Bowie on several occasions throughout his career - echoes Visconti's sentiment and has heralded his final album as the ultimate expression of his artistic integrity.

Sky said: "Like a number of people in the music world, I had heard rumours that Bowie had been ill. It is a tribute to his close friends and the people who worked with him that they managed to keep how the seriousness of his illness so secret.

"What an amazing farewell - I wouldn't be surprised if Bowie had planned this to managed to make his death an artistic 'event'. For his passing to come just two days after he celebrated his 69th birthday and released his final album 'Blackstar' is extraordinary.

"The record sees him put into words his thoughts about his own mortality. In the song 'Lazarus' the opening lyrics he sings are 'look up here, I'm in heaven / I've got scars that can't be seen / I've got drama, can't be stolen / Everybody knows me now', so prophetic.

"But I'm not surprised, Bowie was pop's greatest magician. He created wonderful, memorable songs seemingly out of thin air. His song 'Changes' perfectly sums up his chameleon career and persona. He moved from one genre and fashion to another rapidly, excitingly and with consummate skill. His music embraced pop, soul, funk, electronica, industrial rock and even jazz later on. While his image showcased everything from hippie to glam to androgyny - all the while maintaining the best hair styles that rock has ever seen.

"I can think of very few people that Bowie's music and image didn't touch and perhaps that could be because he showed it was not only OK but actually a positive virtue to be different, to be an individual or to be a freak.

"I was lucky enough to meet and interview Bowie on several occasions - as well as seeing him on Broadway in 'The Elephant Man'. Each meeting and interview showed me just how intelligent, talented, inquiring, friendly and charismatic he was."

Sky - a music biographer whose books include 'The Show Must Go on: The Life of Freddie Mercury' and 'Michael Jackson: The Bad Year' - also believes Bowie will have left more songs to be released posthumously and the world will just have to wait with baited breath for what comes next.

He mused: "He was such a prodigious worker that there must be a wealth of unreleased material in the vaults. He was a true music hero and, though he is gone from this world, his songs, his spirit and his influence will live on forever.

"Although, right now, his death will shatter the pop world like an earthquake. The last time something so seismically tragic happened in the pop world was when John Lennon was brutally assassinated on the streets of New York in 1980. As a rock influence, he is up there with Elvis Presley, The Beatles and Bob Dylan. The magnitude of Bowie's death can be seen in the tributes that have poured out since the news hit us. Everyone from pop stars that he influenced like Madonna and Boy George to renowned politicians have paid their respects showing the world what a huge inspiration he was."