How David Bowie took a piece of the Glasgow Barrowlands home

As most Glaswegians know, a surprising number of musicians from both near and far have a soft spot for the city’s famous Barrowland Ballroom.

Even some of history’s most famous performers – including the late David Bowie – felt an affinity with the venue.

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In fact, back in the mid-’90s Ziggy Stardust himself went as far as taking a piece of the Barras home with him as a momento.

Bowie was in the midst of his extensive Earthling tour (which took him all across the UK and Europe, as well as North and South America) following the album’s release in February 1997.

Is this be spot at the Barrowlands in Glasgow where David Bowie had a brush with a Glasgow star ?#bbcgms 0820 pic.twitter.com/cJ70aQh12e

— Gary Robertson (@BBCGaryR) January 12, 2016

The story goes that during rehearsals for his Glasgow concert on July 22 1997, the singer reached out and caught a decorative star as it fell from the ceiling of the venue.

According to a reliable source, Bowie awarded the star pride of place in his Paris apartment – a lasting memory of Glasgow and its musical legacy.

Allegedly, this incident encouraged other bands and musicians to steal a Barrowlands star for their own collections.

David Bowie tragically lost an 18 month-long battle to cancer and died on 10 January 2016, just two days after his 69th birthday and the release of his final album, Blackstar.

Listen to David Bowie performing ‘Quicksand’ live at the Barrowlands in 1997: