Despite being delayed due to a technical glitch, the 24-hour celebration titled 'Celebration: Just For One Day' also features his longtime producer Tony Visconti and members of his final touring band.
- Jan 11, 2021
AceShowbiz - David Bowie's birthday tribute had to wait a day over the weekend due to a technical glitch.
Stars like Trent Reznor, Duran Duran and Boy George were scheduled to perform Bowie covers with the late rocker's pianist Mike Garson as part of a 24-hour celebration beginning on Friday night (January 08), but the event didn't actually get underway until late Saturday.
The one-night-only pay-to-view marathon also featured Bowie's longtime producer Tony Visconti, members of his final touring band, and acts like Billy Corgan, Perry Farrell and YUNGBLUD.
Duran Duran opened the concert with a cover of "Five Years" from Bowie's 1972 album, "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars". Duran Duran frontman Simon Le Bon previouslly admitted the track is very important to him.
"My life as a teenager was all about David Bowie," he said. "He is the reason why I started writing songs. Part of me still can't believe in his death five years ago, but maybe that's because there's a part of me where he's still alive and always will be."
He went on sharing, "When we got the 'Ziggy Stardust' LP and put the needle in the groove, our first taste of its perfection was the song Five Years. I can't begin to explain how honoured I feel for Duran Duran to be given the opportunity to perform (for) this icon, and to place our name alongside Bowie's for this commemoration of his music."
Highlights included The Smashing Pumpkins star Corgan's emotional version of "Space Oddity" and Nine Inch Nails leader Reznor's take on "Fashion" and "Fantastic Voyage", while Adam Lambert wowed with his theatrical performance of "Starman", and YUNGBLUD won praise for tackling "Life on Mars?".
Proceeds from the event, titled "Celebration: Just For One Day!", will be donated to Save the Children, one of the charities Bowie supported with ticket sales from his 50th birthday concert at Madison Square Garden in New York in 1997.
