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Bobby Gillespie praises David Bowie for never accepting a royal honour
28 April 2026, 11:15 | Updated: 28 April 2026, 12:06
The Primal Scream frontman discussed what he admired most about the late Heroes icon at the premiere of Lightroom's You're Not Alone show.
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Bobby Gillespie liked the fact David Bowie never accepted a royal honour.
The Primal Scream frontman attended the premiere of Lightroom's new groundbreaking show David Bowie: You're Not Alone, last week and when quizzed on what we could learn from the late icon to today, he told Radio X: "If you're an artist, you should constantly challenge yourself and your audience. That's what he always did, you know. He wasn't scared to lose an audience and he followed his creative heart and he took risks, and that's what we could all learn from him as artists."
The Rocks Off singer added: "And the other thing I really admire about him is they offered him honours, you know, the British state, and he always refused to take these honours, so-called honours."
“You know, the rest of them got on their knees and grovelled to let a member of the royal family put a sword near their head," he added. "They seem to be grateful to get these honours. Then Bowie just told them to f*** off. I love that."
David Bowie famously refused two royal honours from the British monarchy: Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2000 and a knighthood in 2003.
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Quizzed about his favourite Bowie era, Gillespie mused: "There's quite a few. I love the period of Low. I think Low is an incredible album. It never sold when it was released. The record company were quite upset about it I think.
"I love the Ziggy Stardust but I think Aladdin Sane's my favourite. Aladdin Sane and Low are maybe my two favorite albums."
Recalling the time he met the rock star, the Movin' On Up singer revealed: "We did a gig in Belgium in 2002. His gig was amazing. He sang Heroes. He sang absolute beginners, which is one of my favourite songs.
"We met him, he was a gentlemen, you know. A really lovely man."
Primal Scream play Rocks at South Facing Fest 2023
Meanwhile, David Bowie: You're Not Alone is available to book now.
The 360° experience - which is located at the Lightroom at London's King's Cross, has been written by Mark Grimmer, Creative Director for the V&A’s David Bowie Is exhibition and Tom Wexler.
You’re Not Alone will showcase some of Bowie’s landmark performances using a mixture of rarely seen and never-before-exhibited material, selected from thousands of hours of film in the vaults of the David Bowie Archive in New York.
The show combines rare performance footage, photography, drawings, lyrics, personal notes and audio recordings and is structured in thematic chapters in a looping presentation, giving a distinctive insight into Bowie's perspective on the subjects most important to him, such as theatricality, spirituality, songwriting and creativity.
Highlights include the strange transatlantic TV interview with Russell Harty in 1975 and a reconstruction of the set of the famous (and infamous) Diamond Dogs tour.
To compliment the show, Lightroom also announced their Bowie Nights programme for Spring/Summer 2026.
The season of special events celebrating the life and work of David Bowie, will include specially-curated events with Anna Calvi, Adam Buxton, Carlos Alomar, Miranda Sawyer, Jonathan Barnbrook, Peter Gregson and more taking part.
Lightroom will also extend its opening hours on selected Friday evenings with for special Lates'. Each Bowie Late will celebrate a different era of the star's career, starting with the 1970s on 1st May, when audiences are encouraged to dress in their best ’70s and Bowie-inspired outfits and enjoy the show alongside a themed cocktail menu.
Visit lightroom.uk for more information and to buy tickets.
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