David Bowie was a legend in rock and roll. But did you know that he almost died a decade before he eventually passed from cancer?
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David Bowie's longtime guitarist Earl Slick is recalling the terrifying moment the legendary singer suffered a heart attack during a concert. Slick revealed that Bowie initially tried to continue performing despite experiencing serious symptoms.
Slick, 74, opened up about the medical emergency during a recent interview with Guitar Player, describing the June 23, 2004, performance in Prague that marked the beginning of the end of Bowie's touring career. The singer was 57 at the time and nearing the conclusion of his A Reality Tour, which had taken him around the world for nearly a year.
"It was the best touring band I ever played in with David," he said. "The combination of people - it was absolutely drama free, and I've never seen him that relaxed and happy on a tour, ever."
According to Slick, the concert initially appeared normal, although he noticed Bowie struggling with his vocals.
"It was a really weird gig. At first I couldn't figure out what was going on. It was hotter than hell in the place, and I could see he was having a hard time hitting some notes. I thought he was just baked. We were all baked," he said.
David Bowie Has a Heart Attack
However, the situation became increasingly alarming when the singer began experiencing chest pain. Slick remembered Bowie asking him to continue playing while he struggled to remain onstage.
"I think we were doing 'The Jean Genie,' and he goes to me, 'Keep vamping, just jam - while he's having a heart attack. Then he started grabbing his chest and the tour managers came over and dragged him off. A few minutes later, he comes back and joins us. He lasted about a measure or two and then he walked off," he said. "They said that he had a blocked nerve, whatever that is; and that diagnosis was wrong."
Just two days later, the singer performed at Germany's Hurricane Festival despite still feeling unwell. Slick recalled speaking with Bowie before the performance and noticing that he was struggling physically. Nevertheless, the musician completed the concert, even delivering what Slick remembered as an exceptional rendition of "Heroes."
He said, "When we did 'Heroes' at the [German] Festival, I swear to God it's one of the best vocal performances he ever did of it. Two hours later, probably, he was in the hospital."
Doctors discovered that he had an acutely blocked coronary artery requiring emergency angioplasty, a procedure used to restore blood flow through a narrowed or blocked artery. The diagnosis forced Bowie to cancel the remaining European dates.
Although the singer recovered and continued recording music, he never embarked on another concert tour. His June 25, 2004, performance in Germany became his final full-length concert. The musician continued recording until his death from cancer on Jan. 10, 2016, at age 69.
