Marilyn Manson has told how David Bowie’s Diamond Dogs changed his life “forever.”
The shock-rocker paid a heartfelt tribute to the late star in an article written for Rolling Stone.
Manson says: “My first introduction to David Bowie was watching Ashes To Ashes on MTV. I was confused and captivated.
“But it wasn’t until my first real stay in Los Angeles, around 1997, that someone told me to take a moment to listen to something other than Ziggy Stardust, Aladdin Sane and Hunky Dory. So I went for a dizzying car ride through the Hollywood Hills and listened to Diamond Dogs.
“All of my nostalgia instantly turned to awe. I was hearing him sing about fiction as a mask to show his naked soul. This changed my life forever. Every song of his was a way for me to communicate to others. It was a sedative. An arousal. A love letter I could never have written.
“It has become and remains a soundtrack to a movie he painted with his voice and guitar. He sang, ‘Hope, it’s a cheap thing.’ I don’t need hope to know that he has found his way to the place that equals his untouchable, chameleon-genius beauty.
“This crushing moment of fear and loss can only be treated the way his music has affected everyone who was fortunate enough to hear and love it. Let’s never let go of what he gave us.”
David Bowie died on Sunday at the age of 69 after an 18-month battle with cancer, which he kept secret from everyone but his family. Tributes from the world of music and film have poured in since his passing was announced on Monday.
