The final conversation David Bowie had with his longtime producer was bittersweet.
In an article published on Wednesday, March 12, Tony Visconti told The New York Post about the last thing he and the “Starman” singer — who died in 2016 — spoke about was.
Visconti, 80, said that Bowie was “whispering” to him on the phone, making it hard to hear him. “He goes into another room, and he says, ‘I’m going to be a grandfather.’ ” Bowie’s son Duncan Jones was expecting a baby. His grandson, Stenton David Jones, was born on July 10, 2016.
The producer also recalled Bowie talking about working on another album. Visconti told Bowie he was excited to hear. “He goes, ‘Yeah, well, right after we get over the holidays, we’ll get together, and I’ll let you hear the music.’ ” This was the last time the two ever spoke.
Visconti worked with Bowie for decades, first collaborating in 1968. He produced Bowie’s final album Blackstar, which was released on Jan. 8, 2016 — two days before he died after being diagnosed with liver cancer. The musician’s Facebook page confirmed his death in a brief post.
“Jan. 10, 2016 – David Bowie died peacefully today surrounded by his family after a courageous 18-month battle with cancer. While many of you will share in this loss, we ask that you respect the family’s privacy during their time of grief.”
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Visconti called Bowie’s final album a “parting gift.” “He always did what he wanted to do. And he wanted to do it his way and he wanted to do it the best way. His death was no different from his life – a work of Art,” Visconti wrote on Facebook in January 2016.
“He made Blackstar for us, his parting gift. I knew for a year this was the way it would be. I wasn’t, however, prepared for it,” he continued. “He was an extraordinary man, full of love and life. He will always be with us. For now, it is appropriate to cry.”
Visconti also told NYP about Bowie’s enduring legacy, saying that he doesn’t think about the “Changes” singer dying. “He’s so vibrant, and he’s still alive in spirit and his music.”
Visconti noted that new generations will discover his music and older generations will continue to rediscover it.
Read the full article here
