Rare Bowie letter expected to fetch £6,000 at auction
The note dates back to 1969 just as Bowie’s career was lifting off with Space Oddity.
A letter sent by David Bowie at around the time his landmark Space Oddity single was released is expected to sell for over £6,000 when it goes to auction.
In the handwritten note, which dates to July 1969, Bowie invites a band to play at a club night he ran in The Three Tuns pub in Beckenham, south London.
The recipient of the letter is seller Dick Jones who was in a group called The Drama Band at the time.
“The bread that shall pass hands will be £10 English currency, in accordance with the rules of the present monetary system.
“There you go, baby.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing your band, unless I’m mistaken we should have a very happy constructive evening with interplay from both sides.”
Jones revealed Bowie sent him the invitation a couple of days after he met up with The Drama Band for a rehearsal. During the meeting they explored how to incorporate Bowie’s mime skills into the band’s performance at his Beckenham Arts Lab night.
Jones said: “Arriving in a cluttered red Fiat 500, he played us several songs including a two-section version of Space Oddity.
“With the 12-string placed to one side, he solemnly keyed the tiny stylophone with its little attached metal pencil!”
Ahead of the sale, auctioneer Paul Fairweather said: “This is a fascinating letter and a great piece of Bowie history.
“I expect there to be a lot of interest amongst fans and collectors worldwide.”
The letter will be sold at Omega Auctions in Merseyside on Wednesday May 9.
