Stardom certainly isn’t an excuse to hurl expletives at people, but as Dave Grohl learned through an email exchange with David Bowie, stardom can make it a lot cooler to get that profanity thrown your way. During a 2021 appearance on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, the Foo Fighters founder recalled an email conversation he had with Bowie that ranged from surprising to hilarious to more than a little bit confusing.
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Blame it on Grohl’s immense reverence for Bowie, the Ziggy Stardust creator’s ultra-British sense of humor, or, more likely, a combination of the two.
Why David Bowie Told Dave Grohl To F Off
When you have a career as lengthy and prolific as David Bowie’s, you’re bound to start rubbing elbows with musicians several years, if not decades, your junior. When Bowie celebrated his 50th birthday at Madison Square Garden, Grohl, who was in his late 20s, joined the star-studded lineup to play with his band, the Foo Fighters, and as a solo performer. Other notable attendees included Lou Reed, Frank Black, Robert Smith, and Sonic Youth.
Bowie’s birthday bash in 1997 led to Grohl landing a gig as a session drummer for the “Space Oddity” singer in Los Angeles a short time after. Years later, Grohl was working on a song for a Marvel film when he decided to go out on a limb and send Bowie an email asking if he would be willing to sing on the track. Much to Grohl’s surprise, Bowie replied, “David, I like the instrumental. But…this is not really my trip, not my genre of film and stuff. I’d love to work with you at some point. But I don’t think this is the time.”
Eager to reply to the David Bowie via email, Grohl sent a quick response thanking Bowie and sending his well wishes. Bowie replied one minute later, “Well, that’s settled then. Now f*** off.” Grohl said, “I’m like, ‘Oh, my god. Holy crap. David Bowie just told me to f*** off.”
The Two Rockstars Bantered Back and Forth Via Email
When Dave Grohl first received an email from David Bowie telling him to f*** off, he wasn’t sure if Bowie forgot who he was and thought he was a random stranger asking for a vocal feature. So, Grohl reminded him of his attendance at Bowie’s Madison Square Garden birthday show, writing, “Well, I guess I’ll see you in another 15 years.” Bowie replied, “Not if I see you first.” It took a few more exchanges for Grohl to realize Bowie was just being funny, but the multi-instrumentalist eventually caught on to the joke.
Grohl told Jimmy Fallon that he would receive random, comical emails from Bowie, like ones wishing him a new year in the middle of June. “I’d say, ‘Drink some day, yes?’ And he’d immediately email back and say, ‘I will, thanks.’” After hearing Bowie was on a health kick, Grohl emailed, “Nuts and muffins?” Bowie sent back, “Those are my attorneys.”
Bowie’s reputation for humorous email correspondence preceded him. His long-time collaborator Brian Eno mentioned these emails in a statement following Bowie’s passing in 2016, describing the witty repartee he and Bowie shared á la Pete and Dud, a British comedy duo from the 1960s and ‘70s. They would sign their emails with made-up names like Mr. Showbiz, Rhoda Borrocks, and Duke of Ear.
And it’s likely that Bowie threw in his fair share of expletives for good measure.
Photo by Justin Goff Photos/Getty Images
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