Michael Stipe, Tony Visconti in David Bowie tribute video

A still of Michael Stipe from the David Bowie tribute video
A still of Michael Stipe from the David Bowie tribute video

Former REM singer Michael Stipe, producer Tony Visconti, The Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne and Jane’s Addiction singer Perry Farrell feature in the short film, David Bowie Was The Gateway Drug For Your Favorite Rockstar.

The video, which was filmed backstage at The Music Of David Bowie show in New York earlier this year, also features Cyndi Lauper, Laurie Anderson, Ann Wilson, Cat Power, Esperanza Spalding, John Darnielle, Rickie Lee Jones, Eugene Hutz, Bilal and Robyn Hitchcock.

Longtime Bowie producer Visconti says of the late rock icon: “The first time I saw him with Ziggy in person, he had all the regalia and and his hair was orange. I only recognised his voice and after two seconds, it’s like, ‘Well, it’s David.’

“That’s what I really got from him, that he never limited himself. This could be a lesson to everyone, that you aren’t your style. You have a true self, but you can make things up and make them real and express them.

“You’re not your hair, clothes – you can do this. He was the person that showed the world how to do that.”

David Bowie died in January aged 69 just days after releasing his Blackstar album.

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Former TeamRock news desk member Christina joined our team in late 2015, and although her time working on online rock news was fairly brief, she made a huge impact by contributing close to 1500 stories. Christina also interviewed artists including Deftones frontman Chino Moreno and worked at the Download festival. In late 2016, Christina left rock journalism to pursue a career in current affairs. In 2021, she was named Local Weekly Feature Writer of the Year at the Scottish Press Awards.