“James Brown kept saying, ‘We’re gonna take it to the bridge.’ Finally, he whipped around and said, ‘Hit me!’ Unfortunately, I did not hit him at all”: Carlos Alomar was fined by the Godfather of Soul, scolded by Chuck Berry – and adored by David Bowie

A black and white action shot of David Bowie and Carlos Alomar sharing the mic onstage, with Alomar playing his Fender Stratocaster.

Growing up in the Bronx, the shadow of the church loomed large over a young Carlos Alomar. But larger still was the shadow of a Sears and Roebuck guitar/amp combo gifted to him by his father as a teen.

Some years before when he was 10 years old and playing in his local church’s band, Alomar couldn’t have known that around a decade later, he’d be standing beside David Bowie as a member of the legendary DAM Trio – which featured Alomar on guitar, George Murray on bass and Dennis Davis on drums – and aiding in the creation of iconic records like Station To Station (1976), Low and “Heroes” (1977), and Lodger (1979).