David Bowie’s body was secretly cremated in New York without any of his friends or family present, according to reports.
The singer – who died this week at the age of 69 after an 18-month battle with cancer – is said to have requested that he be cremated soon after his passing and that no funeral service be held.
The Daily Mirror reports a source as saying: “There is no public or private service or a public memorial. There is nothing.”
Fans have laid tributes in Brixton, where Bowie was born, and outside his New York home and at at his star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame – but, as per his wishes, there will be no official permanent public memorial.
However, next month’s Brit Awards ceremony will include a tribute to Bowie’s work and a memorial concert will be held at New York’s Carnegie Hall on March 31. The New York show will feature performances from Jane’s Addiction frontman Perry Farrell, Heart’s Ann Wilson, Cyndi Lauper and Jakob Dylan, among others, all performing Bowie songs.
Tributes poured in from the worlds of music and film in the wake of Bowie death, and Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne is among the latest to speak about his impact.
Ozzy tells Rolling Stone: “It knocked the shit out of me. I had no idea that he was so ill. I don’t think anybody knew how sick he was. I’d heard the reason he stopped touring was because he had two heart attacks or something. But apparently it was cancer.
“Anyway, he’s gone. It’s a terrible hole in the fucking business. He was such a talented guy, man. When you go from Ziggy Stardust to his tours, and he’s a fashion guy, he was always trying to beat himself and he pulled it off time and time again.”
Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx adds: “Bowie not only inspired me as a songwriter but inspired me to add layers to my creativity as an artist.
“People are meant to evolve. It’s a natural part of life, but so many artists become stagnant. Bowie showed us that it’s not only important to evolve as artists but mandatory.
“Funny thing is what David was doing all along was teaching us to expect more from ourselves and never settle for less that extraordinary. Proving all along he was the teacher and we were all just his students. He taught us well.
“Bowie was my hero and always will be.”
