[HERB COLLECTOR]

A couple more David Bowie connections to Kent.

His mother, Margaret Jones, nee Burns, was born at Shorncliffe Camp Hospital near Folkstone.
In 1953 the family moved from Brixton to Bromley (Bromley was part of Kent until 1 April 1965) where David attended Burnt Ash Junior School and Bromley Technical High.

There is an almost complete list of David Jones/Bowie gigs and concerts 1958 to 2000 @ http://www.bowiewonderworld.com/tours/tour58.htm 
These include early gigs with the Mannish Boys, and The Lower Third. Many were in Kent, including Minster (Sheppey?) Sheerness, and Queensborough, (Queenborough?)

[80sChild]

He also played at the Central Hall in Chatham back in the 1970's. Ziggy Stardust days.

Now THAT'S something else I didn't knew either!

I always get a bit of kick when a huge international superstar visits the Medway Towns.

[DaveTheTrain]

As well as a  full page in the obituaries, he gets a headline above the paper's title and news of the doctors' strike on page 1, then five full pages in today's Daily Telegraph. The rest of the World news starts on page 7.

I really must have my priorities as to what's important in the World wrong.

I equally have been amazed at the bizarre coverage of what was simply the death of a light entertainment performer.  But as soemone said today, it is cheap news that does not cost anything to regurgitate some old archive stuff.
DTT

[Troyboy]

Hi Ann, it was on the June 12, 1973 at the Central Hall.
regards Troyboy

[peterchall]

As well as a  full page in the obituaries, he gets a headline above the paper's title and news of the doctors' strike on page 1, then five full pages in today's Daily Telegraph. The rest of the World news starts on page 7.

I really must have my priorities as to what's important in the World wrong.

[JohnWalker]

I thought he died years ago when his space walk system developed a fault?  Very confusing.....

[ann]

He also played at the Central Hall in Chatham back in the 1970's. Ziggy Stardust days.

[Bilgerat]

Getting a bit fed up with it now. Listening to Vanessa Feltz and Chris Evans gushing on about it on the radio this morning was nauseating.

It does show however how the music industry has changed. All these memories people have of David Bowie playing pubs and clubs before he got famous. I wonder if he would have got through an X-Factor audition?

[DaveTheTrain]

Has he died?  I wish they had mentioned on the news or any of the radio programmes I listed to, today. 

[peterchall]

What bad news - in the opinion of the BBC - is being supplanted by news of Bowie's death?

[davpott]

I was never a big Bowie fan. Even though I saw his in a playing in a large Croyden pub in 1971 (I went every week whoever was playing) I never got into his  music at all in the 70s but did like and buy a couple of his albums in the 80s. Nonetheless he was an outstanding performer and artiste throughout his career. While he certainly merits coverage of his sudden passing and undoubtedly worthy of a few television specials covering his long and varied career. Perhaps the coverage has been a little OTT, especially in the news at six.

[Bilgerat]

what a load of excess . 15 mins on BBC News--is there nothing better???
I was looking forward to Iolo's Brecon Beacons(BBC Wales) Cancelled for that man. Disgusting

Never mind, at least Eastenders, Corrie and Emmerdale haven't been rescheduled, so civilisation as we know it is still safe.

On a serious note though, one of the most influential people in modern culture has passed away. They say these things always come in threes, Lemmy, David Bowie, who's next?

[alkhamhills]

what a load of excess . 15 mins on BBC News--is there nothing better???
I was looking forward to Iolo's Brecon Beacons(BBC Wales) Cancelled for that man. Disgusting

[80sChild]

Has you all probably have heard by now, the renowned pop musician and singer David Bowie has died today, at the age of 69. :(

This has been all over the news today, on TV and on the radio (I was listening to my MP3 Player whilst working, and nearly every station was saying something about it).

Nearly everyone agrees that he is now regarded as being one of the biggest and influential musicians in the history of 20th centaury music, and I'm amazed at the sheer volume of sincerity and condolences from so many people all the across the whole world, such was the impact his music seems to have had on modern society.

I think one of the best comments I heard was from a TV reporter, who said that, like the deaths of JFK, Elvis Presley and Princess Diana, this is one of those Where-were-you-when-you-first-heard-the-news?-moments in history.  :(

But watching/listening to the news I did learn to rather amazing facts about him.

Firstly, the video he made to accompany the 1981 song Ashes to Ashes, which featured scenes of him walking along a beach, was actually filmed near Hastings.
(I know it's not technically in Kent, but it's close enough in that sense).

The other was that, back in the 1960's, he actually lived in a flat in Maidstone with his (then) bandmates, called The Manish Boys, and that they once performed in Mote Park! 

Here's a picture of him at Mote Park with the Mannish Boys that I've found:

http://media.kentonline.co.uk/filerepository/archive/images2/PD1788965Solly%20TN%201.12_l.jpg

I was genuinely surprised to hear this, because I had no idea that he had connections to Maidstone at all!