David Bowie Diaries 1973-1974-1975 1974
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DECEMBER
MY WORLD by David Bowie

A WEEKLY DIARY EXCLUSIVELY WRITTEN FOR MIRABELLE MAGAZINE

Diamond Dogs Tour, NY 1974 David Bowie Diaries 1974 USA 1974

7th December 1974

   I must tell you that the rest of the tour is going fabulously well. We've got a few new people travelling with the show and among them is a very talented and favourite friend of mine, Ava Cherry. The last time I told you about Ava, I mentioned that she was going to be in a Broadway show. Well, at the last minute, she decided against the show and instead is now one of my back-up singer-dancers. She and Geoffrey (her partner in my show), and I are friends from way back.

   Geoffrey and I have been friends for ages, since we were both children, and I must take full credit for discovering Ava. I met Ava when she was a famous model in Paris and something about her looks told me she had star quality. Since then, she really has proven herself as being star material, and I'd better be careful before she steals my spotlight. Only kidding - there's nothing better than being able to work with friends - keeping it in the family, so to speak.

   I haven't had much time for hitting the night spots lately. After I do a show, I usually just manage to have a bite to eat before I go back to my hotel room and drift immediately off to sleep. By the time I wake up again, it's almost time to do another show.

   The other night I did a funny thing that I can't for the life of me remember doing! The musicians, singers and I just finished a show and everyone decided to go to a restaurant and have a late dinner. I was so tired that I told them I wasn't coming along, but would just order something from the hotel's room service before going to sleep. Well, apparently, that's just what I did, because the next morning I had a luscious, five-course dinner lying uneaten in front of me. I don't remember ordering it; I can't remember letting the waiter in my room and I can't remember getting undressed for bed. It seems like a definite case of sleep-walking to me!

   One activity that I have managed to take time out for is reading - and I've come upon a great author. His name is Kurt Vonnegut - and even though he's new to me, all my friends seem to have been reading his books for years. He writes what you might call humorous science fiction. It's fabulous and I've turned Angie on to his books, and she in turn reads them to Zowie as bedtime stories. So now I'm telling you about them, and I promise you won't be disappointed.

   Well, it's time for me to go now, so until next time -



14th December 1974

   You've probably recently seen photographs of me posed with the lovely Elizabeth Taylor. I must admit, that meeting her was quite a thrill. You see, ever since I was a tot I've wanted to meet Miss Taylor and I'm still quite a fan of hers, so when I found out that she'd come to see my show and was inviting me to tea the next day, I was really flabbergasted!

   It turned out that she's not as notorious as everyone thinks. In fact, she's very nice and sweet, and she seemed quite nervous at meeting me. She must have thought that I was pretty notorious, too! She's also giggly at times and very little-girlish. By the end of the tea I was giggling right along with her. It really was amazing to discover that she's not the vamp she nearly always portrays on the screen, but that's the nice thing about being a performer. One gets to meet some of the people one has admired and find out what they're really like.

   We're finally starting to use the new set in the show. It's really impressive - an all-white backdrop made of a plush fuzzy material. Ava and Geoffrey and I stand on sparkling stainless steel platforms while we're performing and the whole effect is very dramatic. I've instructed everyone not to go near the white material with shoes on or it won't be white for too long!

   The new shows have been going really well - I've added some new songs and changed the format and so far everyone seems to be enjoying themselves. There has been one minor set-back, though. Yours truly came down with a very bad sore throat and I thought I might have to cancel a show. Luckily, Angie came to the rescue. She started travelling with me by train - fearless Angie usually flies to my concerts - and treated me with Vitamin 'C' tablets, aspirins and throat sprays - and I felt quite healthy in no time.

   I'm so glad it was Angie who nursed me back to health, though. When I'm sick I'm rather unbearable to be around. I get really grumpy and want everything to be done for me and the only person who can stand being around me is Angie. Now that I'm sufficiently recovered she's taking planes again, because trains are just not fast enough for the lady of perpetual motion!

   Well, I must bid you all adieu for now as I seem to be running out of room, so stay tuned until next week.



21st December 1974

I heard the most incredible thing the other day that I must tell you about, and I promise every single word of it is true! I was in Detroit, where I was due to do a concert, and before the show I was sitting in my hotel room listening to the radio.

   Suddenly, the newsman interrupted the regular programme with the news that a spaceship had been found in the desert - an alien spaceship about six feet wide and thirty feet long - and inside were three alien beings. The three creatures were killed on impact when the spaceship plummeted to earth, but they were taken to a hospital to be examined, anyway. These people looked like human beings but were much smaller and when they were examined it was discovered that their vital organs were like human beings too! The catch is that their brains were found to be much farther advanced! Wow!

   As soon as the newscast was over I got all the band and my back-up singers together, and had them ring up radio and TV stations all over the country to see if they had all got the report. About half the stations said they had and half denied it - so, it really is quite a mystery. No one knows what's happened to the spaceship or the spacemen at this point, and it seems that someone is trying to cover up the whole matter completely!

   I asked the audience at the concert that night if they had heard about the spaceship landing, and just about all of them had, so I definitely wasn't hearing things! I'd really like to know more about it, though!

   There isn't too much else happening at the moment. Angie took a short holiday in Jamaica. She said that it's really beautiful there, and had a wonderful time even though she's not a sunworshipper. Neither am I, but I could fancy a bit of a holiday. No time for that, though!

   Amanda Lear came over here to visit. Amanda is the MainMan artiste who is making an album of 'Oktobriana' songs and she came over here to finish her single, and to give me my 'Melody Maker' award. She said that she was so nervous when she received it for me that she dropped it on her foot and was positively mortified. Of course, I checked the award immediately for dents!

   Anyway, Amanda's single is fabulous! It's called 'Star' and Amanda will be just that in a little while. It's about time we had another lady star!

   I must go now, 'cos one of favourite performers in the world is on telly, James Brown, and I must give him my undivided attention. So, stay happy and watch out for spaceships!



28th December 1974

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Created: July 1997 © Paul Kinder Last Updated: 30/6/14