David Bowie Knew Death Was Near, Chose to Bravely Hide it, Close Friend Says
David Bowie was a brave and private man up to his last breath, his close friend Robert Fox said. According to the film and theatre producer, Bowie did not cause any fuss while he was sick and just kept everything in private.
Speaking with The Telegraph, Fox, who worked closely with Bowie on the musical Lazarus, shared that the artist was rehearsing through Skype even if feeling unwell. He was quite adamant about keeping his illness a secret as much as possible so that no one would fuss over him.
Fox said that when news of Bowie's death circulated, there was a common feeling of shock because "nobody knew." Bowie's friend for four decades, Fox, shared that this is exactly what Bowie wanted to happen. Apart from wanting as little attention on him as possible when he was sick, Fox shared that Bowie hid the extent of his illness because he wanted to protect his family and his then upcoming album, "Lazarus."
Fox claimed it was odd to watch "Lazarus" the musical without Bowie enjoying it himself. "It was odd watching Lazarus, the musical, for the first time on stage, knowing that David wasn't well, and seeing the show in that light, and knowing that the 200 other people in the audience, who did not know that, were seeing it in a different light," he explained.
He said the musical even becomes more meaningful because of Bowie's passing. "It's much clearer now with the loss of David because it's about this poor man who doesn't want to die, who wants to go back to his planet and find some resolution," he added.
Another famed producer, Tony Visconti, who worked with the British artist, almost said the same thing. In the months leading to his death, Bowie was as excited to and dedicated to work as ever, Visconti told Rolling Stone. Bowie was even planning a follow-up album to "Blackstar."