David Bowie’s Final Recorded Public Performance Might Bring a Tear to Your Eye

David Bowie, one of the most iconic art pop and rock artists of the 20th century, passed away in January of 2016, following a brave battle with liver cancer. But for the better part of a decade before his passing, Bowie had more or less retired from public performances. He continued to work on music, but his days on the stage were apparently over. And nobody at the time knew that a 2005 benefit concert would mark the Starman’s final ever public recorded performance.

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The concert in question was the Fashion Rocks show, filmed at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. The concert took place on September 8, and the whole of the event featured quite a few famous musicians. Arcade Fire famously performed with David Bowie at the event.

During the show, Bowie was introduced by singer Alicia Keys. He entered the stage, dressed in his telltale well-tailored suit, and dove into an absolutely gorgeous rendition of his famed 1973 glam rock song, “Life On Mars?” 

David Bowie’s Final Recorded Performance is Truly Haunting

At the time of the performance, nobody knew that it would be the last time fans would be able to see a new recorded performance from Bowie. With this in mind, the performance is quite haunting to watch.

The performance with Arcade Fire in 2005 would mark the last time David Bowie would perform for a formally recorded public event. However, it wouldn’t be very last performance of his career. Just a year later, Bowie would sing with Alicia Keys at a charity event at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York. The Black Ball performance supported the charity Keep A Child Alive.

It’s widely accepted that Bowie’s final live performance of his career was his introduction of Ricky Gervais in 2007 at Madison Square Garden. In that performance, he performed a tongue-in-cheek rendition of the song “Chubby Little Loser” from Extras. However, many consider the performance in 2006 with Alicia Keys to be his last “real” performance.

David Bowie passed away at the age of 69 in New York City on January 10, 2016, mere days after releasing his “swan song” final album, Blackstar. He apparently found out he was terminal only a few months before his death. Today, Bowie’s legacy lives on in the hearts of his fans and the loved ones he left behind.

Photo by Debra L Rothenberg/FilmMagic