Bowie’s death turns legacy into a jackpot

David Bowie’s career began in the age of vinyl, but last week he picked up more than five million new digital fans.

Music streamer Spotify is abuzz with David Bowie.

David Bowie’s career began in the age of vinyl, but last week he picked up more than five million new digital fans on the music streaming service Spotify in the days after his death, pushing his song Heroes to No 1 in its global viral music chart.

The star’s unexpected death from cancer last week at the age of 69 caused a surge of interest. Previously, Bowie had an average of four million listens a month on Spotify — but that leapt to 9.1 million last week.

The demand for all things Bowie has generated a commercial frenzy.

“It’s been crazy,” said Gerard Marti, director of the Robert Kidd Gallery in Detroit, which sells Bowie’s artwork.

The gallery has sold several Bowie pieces since his death, and Mr Marti was planning to have more works shipped in from his galleries in Los Angeles and Maui, Hawaii.

Prices range from $2000 to $10,000.

There has also been increased demand for Bowie prints, particularly the Aladdin Sane signed print that is on sale for £3800 ($7885) at the Hypergallery in Henley-on-Thames, England.

Bowie’s album Blackstar, which foretold his death and was released on his 69th birthday just two days before he died, topped charts in Australia and around the world.

About 46,000 items of Bowie memorabilia were on eBay yesterday, including the chance to buy The Sun and the Daily Star newspaper tribute editions.

By the end of the week, eight of the best-selling albums in British Amazon’s top 10 were Bowie, as were 16 in the top 20.

In New York — where before Bowie’s death a tribute concert had been set up for Carnegie Hall on March 31 — tickets sold out in three hours.

On Friday­, tickets with a face value of £33-£110 were being offered­ for more than £6000 each on secondary ticketing sites, leading organisers to add a second night to cope with demand.

The evening features Cyndi Lauper, the Roots, Jakob Dylan and Heart’s Ann Wilson.

In London, at least 12 venues were organising events over the weekend, including tribute bands, films and music. The organisers of next month’s Brit awards at London’s O2 are trying to put together a “supergroup” to pay tribute. It could include Noel Gallagher, Damon Albarn and Bono.

However, Bowie’s family — his wife Iman, son Duncan, daughter Alexandria and stepdaughter Zulekha — posted a cautionary message online.

They said: “It is important to note that while the concerts and tributes planned for the coming weeks are all welcome, none are official memorials organised or endorsed by the family.

“Just as each and every one of us found something unique in David’s music, we welcome everyone’s celebration of his life as they see fit.” A source confirmed that Bowie had already been cremated and that a private event would be held for the family later.

Robert Fox, the theatre producer who had been the singer’s friend for more than 40 years, describe­d how shocked he was when he went to work on the production of Lazarus, Bowie’s play, late in 2014 and found he had to talk to the singer by Skype because­ he did not feel up to a meeting. “He wanted to be part of it, but didn’t want to be in the room,” said Fox, who kept Bowie’s illness secret.

The New York Theatre Workshop, which is staging the play, is charging up to $US2500 ($3640) a ticket for a special final ­performance which is scheduled to take place on Thursday, claiming that it is to benefit its artistic ­development and education ­programming.

Sources close to Bowie said that they were not aware of any lost album in the can awaiting release­, and that five “new” tracks reported by Rolling Stone magazine were likely to be outtakes from Blackstar, some of which feature­ in Lazarus.

A variety of ways to provide a permanent memorial have been proposed, including petitions for Bowie to feature on the £20 note; for his face to appear on a stamp; and even for Mars to be renamed after him.

with Krissi Murison

The Sunday Times