Well my story is from the early fall of 1997, and involves going to Seattle with a boyfriend to see David at the Paramount theatre. Of course, we arrived very early in the morning the day of his show. This is generally the plan of attack when dealing with a general admission audience. And of course, I had to be in the front. I was not the only one with this idea, as within an hour the line was already long. The doors were not opening until 6:00 pm, so we basically had a day of waiting before us. Fortunately, it was not raining. What happens when waiting outside all day for a show? In this pre-smartphone era, you might be surprised to learn that people were actually talking to each other, in person, without having to hold an electronic device. Many people were talking about their favorite Bowie songs, or eras, or his excellent performing and acting skills. Being close to the door, I could eventually see David and his bandmates rehearsing inside. I always loved the crowds at his shows: people in Bowie costumes, goths, punks, music freaks and geeks, Warhol weirdos, metal heads, and of course no shortage of queens, all gathered for this single performance. Later that night I was introduced to a radio personality, Penny, who was conducting an interview with David the next morning at one of the local radio stations. She invited me and my boyfriend back to her place for the night and said we might get a chance to meet David after his interview. I was skeptical of course. We talked about Bowie and listened to some of his records at her place until 3:00 a.m. She was an artist herself, and drew a picture of David as the Vampire Lestat, and gave it to me. See picture of it herein.
Apparently I never slept in those days because I remember getting to the radio station about 7:40 am. Our radio host was feeling some stress at this point. Bowie and his bandmates arrived a couple minutes early, and entered the station quickly, among many waiting fans. I saw David briefly, walking quickly into the station with security. This, I thought, was probably it. But Penny told me to wait outside and she would make sure to ask David to say hello to me and my boyfriend before he left for the airport. She kept her promise. 45 minutes later, David and a few others walked out of the elevator into the lobby where I was waiting, and came right up to us. What could I say? I told David I loved the show. I did not have anything special for him to sign, and apparently at that age remembering to carry a piece of paper was just too much. So I grabbed a piece of yellow paper from a nearby table in the lobby, which he did sign.
Of course, he was very nice and charming. He really is beautiful in person, especially his laugh and his smile. He told me that he really liked my look. Honestly I don’t remember what I was wearing that morning, but if Bowie really did like it, then it was probably the right thing to wear.
David’s death this year was heartbreaking, but since his passing I have remembered him as a source of inspiration. David Bowie was an artist who was not afraid to take risks, and to challenge himself and his work. His final album, Blackstar was his final challenge and a masterpiece that only he could have created. I will cherish his music and art forever. Thinking of him, I feel so inspired to be myself and the artist that I have always wanted to be. I hope that inspiration has found itself in my acting, and in my new found fearlessness of moving forward.