One of the most notoriously excruciating moments in David Bowie’s career came when he dropped to his knees during the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in 1992 and recited the Lord’s Prayer. It was taken as an overly theatrical act for which he was vilified. The star who had risen to fame on a heady mix of Aleister “The Beast 666” Crowley lore and Nietzsche-infused vision of rock stars replacing the dead God. Seriously?
And yet watching it again now on YouTube is to reveal Bowie prefacing the prayer with a dedication to his friend Craig, who it turns out was dying of Aids in hospital, and then reciting it with absolute sincerity. This wasn’t an old ham stealing the limelight, he meant it.
