I heard the news today…* Blackstar Symphony in St. Louis; “Moonage” exhibition in London; RIP David Edward Byrd; remembering when Bowie played for Stern; plus reflections, profiles, lists and MORE!
Welcome to my weekly roundup of Bowie news! Click on the bolded article titles to read the originals. This week’s Bowie news covers a wide range of topics, from a Blackstar Symphony performance in St. Louis and a Bowie-inspired art exhibit in London to the introduction of a Bowie-themed Warframe character and the passing of poster artist David Edward Byrd. Also featured is a newly photographed Bowie mural in Brighton and reflections on his influence, performances, and legacy plus profiles, lists and more. With that said, read on…
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NEWS
Blackstar Symphony Comes to St. Louis. The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO) honored David Bowie’s legacy with the “Blackstar Symphony” concert on February 7th. The performance featured Donny McCaslin, Bowie’s collaborator on his final album, as Artistic Director and saxophonist, leading his jazz quartet alongside the SLSO. They were joined by Bowie’s longtime bassist and vocalist Gail Ann Dorsey, guest artist John Cameron Mitchell, vocalists David Poe and Tim Lefebvre, keyboardist Jason Lindner, and drummer Nate Wood, delivering orchestral renditions of “Blackstar” and other Bowie classics. 
“Moonage” show in London inspired by Bowie. The exhibit “Moonage” by Sophie von Hellermann, featuring dreamlike, myth-inspired paintings, is on view at Pilar Corrias in London through March 22, 2025, and takes its title from David Bowie’s “Moonage Daydream,” with a standout piece paying tribute to Ziggy Stardust.
Warframe’s Bowie themed frame. Warframe, an online game, is introducing Temple, a new Bowie-inspired Warframe that embodies glam-rock energy with a signature guitar weapon. Hey, I just find the stories and link to them. I never heard of Warframe before this week!
RIP David Edward Byrd. Byrd was renowned as a designer of poster art, especially related to Broadway productions. He also designed the promotional art for Bowie’s Carnegie Hall debut in 1972. Byrd died at the age of 83 on February 3rd.
Bowie among nine works photographed by Watford Observer Camera Club. A recent feature by the Watford Observer highlighted a series of artworks captured by the Watford Observer Camera Club, including a mural of David Bowie among other artistic representations of famous figures such as Elton John. The photography group, which regularly undertakes themed challenges, showcased a diverse range of creative works, emphasizing the vibrant street art and public installations across the area.
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REFLECTIONS
When Bowie performed for Howard Stern’s Birthday Bowie’s industrial-heavy track “Hallo Spaceboy” was one of his most intense live performances, as showcased in a powerful 1998 rendition at Howard Stern’s birthday party, reflecting his ability to embrace heavier sounds throughout his career. A video of the performance is embedded in this blog.
Metallica’s nearly hidden nod to Bowie. According to this article, Metallica’s song “Master of Puppets” contains a subtle nod to David Bowie’s Hunky Dory track “Andy Warhol”, with Kirk Hammett and Cliff Burton incorporating a riff at the 6:19 mark that mimics a passage from Bowie’s song. I tip my hat to you if you already knew that! (I didn’t.)
Cobain beats Bowie???. A suspicious outfit called Pubity hosted an on-line bracket tournament on their Instagram page to determine the Greatest Rockstar of All Time. Kurt Cobian not only won, but beat Bowie head to head. Obviously, this poll was infiltrated by Russian bots.
On “Sense of Doubt.” David Bowie’s “Sense of Doubt” from his 1977 “Heroes” album is a strikingly ominous, avant-garde instrumental that evokes a palpable sense of dread, serving as a microcosm of the eerie, experimental essence of his Berlin Trilogy—arguably his most cutting-edge era.
Who Inherited David Bowie’s Money? Bowie’s $230 million estate was divided among his wife, Iman (50%), and his two children, Duncan and Alexandria “Lexi” Jones (25% each), with his wealth continuing to grow past $300 million through royalties and licensing deals. I’m a little dubious about the source of this story, though from what I’ve already read elsewhere the actual story seems accurate.
Bowie Didn’t Know He Was Dying Until His Final Few Months. Bowie only learned his cancer was terminal three months before his death, yet he continued working on his final album Blackstar and the Lazarus musical, maintaining his artistic drive while keeping his illness private from the public. This curiously timed post seems to be based on other stories that have been out there for a while.
Advice John Lennon Gave Bowie. Lennon advised Bowie to simplify his songwriting by directly stating what he meant, making it rhyme, and adding a backbeat—an approach Bowie found invaluable and repeatedly returned to throughout his career. This is yet another story based on well-worn information. And I’m not sure how much this was advice from Lennon to Bowie versus just something John Lennon would say.
On the Thin White Duke. Bowie’s Thin White Duke persona, emerging in 1976 alongside Station to Station, was an aristocratic yet dark character influenced by The Man Who Fell to Earth and Naked Lunch, created during his drug-fueled haze, marked by controversial statements, and retired within a year as he sought recovery in Europe.
Surprising Facts About Lou Reed’s Transformer. Bowie played a crucial role in shaping Transformer by producing the album alongside Mick Ronson, rescuing it from a weak start, adding his signature harmonies to “Satellite of Love,” and pushing Lou Reed toward a more theatrical vocal style, all of which significantly contributed to the album’s lasting impact.
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PROFLIES
Luke Spiller. Spiller, of The Struts, ranks Ziggy Stardust as thebest album of all time.
Keanan Duffty. Keanan Duffty, renowned stylist for David Bowie and the Sex Pistols, discusses his glam-punk music project Slinky Vagabond, the inspirations behind his new album The Eternal Return, and his deep-rooted connections to Doncaster and the North of England’s music scene.
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LISTS
18 artists who have never won album of the year at the Grammys. Bowie is part of this prestigious list because, his most iconic albums went unrecognized by the Grammys, and even his commercially successful Let’s Dance lost to Michael Jackson’s Thriller in 1984.
8 famous musicians speaking about their love of Glasgow. Bowie said, “I started off here about ten years ago or something like that, and it has always been a favorite of mine. It’s an exceptionally exciting audience to work to. They just seem very intoxicated with the idea of a theatrical show.”
Rock Stars’ Real Names. I’m guessing that if you are reading these words, you already know that David Bowie’s real name was David Jones. That said, you might not have known some of the other “real names” on this list.
12 Classic Rock Songs Inspired by Movies We Love. Unsurprisingly, this list identified “Space Oddity” as being inspired by 2001: A Space Odyssey, as Bowie himself recalled being deeply affected by the film while high. More humorously, the same list also claims that Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way” was inspired by a Mel Brooks gag in Young Frankenstein.
3 of the Biggest US Commercial Chart Flops by Legendary Artists. It may be hard to believe today, but David Bowie’s “Heroes” was not commercially successful upon its 1977 release, failing to chart on the Billboard Hot 100—yet over time, it gained immense popularity, eventually peaking at No. 12 in 2016 and becoming one of his most-streamed songs on Spotify.
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FAR OUT MAGZINE
The online magazine always manages to post Bowie stories. These stories are usually built around a nugget of known information, given a title that hints at a detail or connection, encouraging readers to click and read further as the story gradually provides the full context. This week featured:
(1) The era David Bowie thought was too bizarre to work
(2) David Bowie in Berlin: How romanticised are the years that saved his life?
(3) Five amazing songs that invented a fictional character
(4) “Odd for me to sing”: the classic song David Bowie grew tired of playing live
(5) Bowie explained why Lou Reed was “the King of New York”
(6) “Our finest hours”: the album David Bowie wanted to be remembered for
(7) When David Bowie almost played Hannibal Lecter’s uncle
(8) ‘I’m Afraid of Americans’: when David Bowie embraced Nine Inch Nails
(9) Florence Welch’s favourite David Bowie song
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THIS WEEK IN THIS BLOG
February 2: Last week’s news
February 3: David Bowie Cover of the Week: Brother Sister cover “Magic Dance”
February 5: Revisiting “Pretty Thing” (1989)
February 7: Across the Bowie-verse: Eight One-of-a-kinds I interviewed in 2024
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And with that, “we’ve finished our news…”*
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*“I’ve heard the news today” is Bowie’s adaptation of the Beatles lyric, which is heard in “Young Americans.” **“We’ve finished our news” is a line from, “Oh You Pretty Things”