David Bowie’s son Duncan Jones has tweeted a heartfelt message of gratitude to the Brits for the “beautiful” tribute to his dad who died in January after an 18-month battle with cancer.
Finally found the links to tonight's Brits. Just… beautiful. Thank you.
— Duncan Jones (@ManMadeMoon) February 25, 2016
Duncan Jones and his father David Bowie in 2009 (Peter Kramer/AP/PA)
The Brits chose to remember the late rocker with some rousing words by Annie Lennox who announced the Let’s Dance hit-maker as the recipient of the Icon Award.
The former Eurythmics singer then introduced actor Gary Oldman, David’s old friend, who was collecting the award on behalf of the family.
Eulogising the Space Oddity star, he said the late singer faced his cancer with “courage, dignity, grace and customary humour”.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cO0J9TDSqEI&feature=oembed
“As Annie so gracefully said, David’s contribution, his influence on popular music, on culture itself, has no equal. He was the very definition, the living embodiment of that singular word icon,” Gary stated.
He continued: “Whether in music or in life, he emphasised originality, experimentation, exploration, and in his very unique way he also reminded us never to take ourselves too seriously. David was funny, hilariously so, and the laughs were many and massive and I shall miss them.”
Praising his “positive outlook”, Gary revealed: “I never once heard him complain. I can share with you that David faced his illness with enormous courage, dignity, grace and customary humour.”
Gary Oldman and Annie Lennox at the Brits (Dominic Lipinski/PA)
He added: “Even in dire circumstances, when he wrote to tell me the bad news he had cancer, he added, ‘The good news is I’ve got cheekbones back’. He was the sweetest soul ever, with the best cheekbones, until it was done.”
Finishing his tribute, he said: “David, you were mortal but your potential was superhuman and your remarkable music is living on. We love you and we thank you.”
Bowie’s band performed a medley of his hits and New Zealand singer Lorde – who the singer had called “the future of music” – closed by performing hit Life On Mars.
David Bowie tribute (Joel Ryan/Invision/AP)
This contrasted strongly with the tweet the 44-year-old movie director posted after Lady Gaga’s interpretation of some of the late rocker’s songs at the Grammys.
In the cryptic tweet Duncan sent after Lady Gaga’s tribute, he posted the Oxford English Dictionary definition of the word “gaga”.
"overexcited or irrational, typically as a result of infatuation or excessive enthusiasm; mentally confused." Damn it! What IS that word!?
— Duncan Jones (@ManMadeMoon) February 16, 2016
The tweet indicated he was less than impressed with the bold routine in which the Oscar nominee dressed as Ziggy Stardust, complete with dyed red hair.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aw_sZvauCw&feature=oembed
