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The Late David Bowie Had Plenty Of Ties To Colorado

DENVER (CB4) - The memorial is growing at David Bowie's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The groundbreaking entertainer died over the weekend after battle with cancer for more than a year, and it seems he had some strong Colorado ties.

Bowie played at the Fillmore Auditorium in Denver more than once and his picture hangs on the wall there. CBS4's Suzanne McCarroll talked with several people from Denver who had fond memories of Bowie.

Letterman's Greatest Musical Guests - David Bowie
David Bowie performs on the Late Show with David Letterman, September 25, 1995 on the CBS Television Network. This photo is provided by CBS from the Late Show with David Letterman photo archive. Photo: Alan Singer/CBS ©1995 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved

KBCO's Bret Saunders has some unusual memories of Bowie, who apparently had a penchant for good cologne.

"I shook his hand and this was the best smelling guy I have ever encountered," Saunders said. "I think that David Bowie was very much a pubic intellectual, which is kind of a rarity in the world of rock music."

Bret Saunders
CBS4's Suzanne McCarroll interviews KBCO's Bret Saunders (credit: CBS)

 

Bowie's photos are on the website of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. He launched his acting career there.

"Back in 1980, David Bowie premiered as 'The Elephant Man' at the DCPA. It went on to New York after it was very successful here," Saunders said.

BOWIE OBIT 5PKG.transfer
(credit: denvercenter.org)

Music promoter Chuck Morris of AEG Live remembers Bowie as a perfectionist.

"When we booked Davie Bowie he would only come if we brought all of his equipment, and the only way we could get all his sound and light and everything was a 747," Morris said.

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The staff at the Tattered Cover says Bowie was a frequent and satisfied customer.

"That night at the concert he mentioned the Tattered Cover had helped him that day and it was the greatest book store in North America," an employee said.

Coloradans say the singer will be dearly missed.

Chuck Morris
AEG Live's Chuck Morris (credit: CBS)

"It's a big loss for the music industry because there is nobody like him," Morris said.

Saunders said he never did manage to get any of Bowie's favorite cologne that everybody liked so much.

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