“When he got in front of the microphone, he sang his balls off. I’d never seen him happier”: How David Bowie stared down death itself for his final left-turn

David Bowie Blackstar.

The death of David Bowie was a cataclysmic event for his legions of fans. Their passion had only recently been re-ignited following his return to rude creative health via 2013’s terrific The Next Day.

It was just a scant few days into their exploring its follow-up, Blackstar, when the unbelievable news hit the headlines.

Suddenly the record’s turbulent, ominous atmosphere made startlingly raw sense.

Across an album dense with portents of his own departure, one particular moment suddenly radiated with blinding clarity.

The Song: David Bowie - Blackstar
The Magic Moment: 04:41 - That extraordinary shift into the gorgeous mid-section - and Bowie’s prescient lyric.