One of the highlights of Dead & Company’s Fall Tour was spending the Halloween Show with Sam Cutler and his bride. One of the things we talked about was Sam being asked to play the role of Host on David Bowie’s upcoming Tour. Apparently, David was planning to move forward regardless of anything that was forecast for him or any condition he had been dealing with. He somehow kept this all pretty quiet.
I’ll never forget seeing Bowie at The Spectrum in Philly in 1983 on the Serious Moonlight Tour. I was awestruck by live music from that day forward. I was 13 years old… Nearly every night for a number of years I fell asleep with my Sony Walkman’s headphones on listening to either Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” or David Bowie’s “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars”. David Bowie broadened and illuminated my musical mind as a kid and I’ll never forget that. Some words in his honor and memory…
Stardust fell on Ziggy on a predetermined time
Another Rebel Rebel whose beauty was sublime
He played a role that rolled his way and knew just what to do
I rode my bike and sang aloud, “I’m happy, hope you’re happy too”
Transgenders found an idol that appeared with Siamese eyes
He comforted confusion with some space age lullabies
Stood atop the mountain without guilt, remorse or pity
Walked his Modern Love right down the streets of Suffragette City
He filled the world with so much stuff that only he/she could do
Somehow became an alligator and a mama-papa coming for you
To see him on a stage made all his lyrics come alive
That definitely weren’t no D.J. that was hazy cosmic jive
So many Ch Ch Changes seemed to mark his mark on life
He danced upon the razor’s edge and played upon the knife
Planet earth is blue today because your star ascended
Golden years remembered through tears at news your life had ended
You added color to our lives in shades we’d never seen
From Liza Jane to Blackstar and so many in between
All The Young Dudes will carry the news of musical treasure lost
Another legend leaves us as we mourn and count the cost
We forge ahead with gifts you gave remembering what you’d say
Under the serious moonlight we can be heroes for a day
You showed show biz how to show off something that was showy
This generation gets Lady Gaga, WE had DAVID FUCKIN BOWIE!!!
While you planned another tour the grim reaper had his plan
We’ll meet again but until then, Ohhh Wham Bam Thank You Man!
Planet earth is blue and there’s nothing I can do…
Dean
*photo provided by Eric Schwartz