Published next month is CONSTELLATION "HEROES": Tracing David Bowie's Berlin Album Song By Song by HANS MEERTENS.

Synopsis: Constellation "Heroes" traces David Bowie's 1977 album as the centre of a wider orbit: a charged zone of resonance and cultural signal. Analytical, imaginative and historically attuned, the book maps a web of connections from Chris Burden to Blackstar, from Tokyo to German Expressionism, from Cold War unease back to Bromley. Framed by Bowie's Berlin era, it unfolds track by track, linking sonic detail to lyrical shape and production to artistic intent, following the currents that infused the record.

It explores the modernist artefact as a site of fracture and invention, between East and West, past and future, voice and persona. It considers how meaning unfolds through sound and staging, language and gesture, and how Bowie channels temporal tension into a force both intimate and unstable. Rather than fixing its meaning, it opens multiple pathways through the album, allowing "Heroes" to emerge as luminous and unresolved.

For readers drawn to Bowie's Berlin years, including The Idiot, Low, Lust For Life, Lodger and the Isolar II Tour, this is an immersive and deeply considered inquiry into one of his most enduring creative periods. "Heroes" becomes a prism of identity and dislocation, still transmitting from the city that shaped it: volatile, elusive, alive.

About the Author: Hans Meertens is a Dutch artist, writer and illustrator whose work is shown internationally and held in private, museum and corporate collections. He studied fine art in the UK, Belgium and the Netherlands, and refined his practice through residencies in New York City. After teaching art in Amsterdam, he now mentors art academy students with additional support needs, volunteers with the foundation Drawing for Children, and makes music on the side in a post-rock band. He is the author of On Track... Iggy Pop 1977-1999: Every Album, Every Song, a detailed survey of Iggy's solo output from that era. A long-time admirer of David Bowie, he turns his focus in this book to a defining work at the heart of his enduring fascination with Bowie's universe.

This 176-page paperback is to be published on 3rd July and is available to pre-order NOW!

Today marks the 34th anniversary of DAVID and IMAN's wedding ceremony at Saint James Episcopal Church, in Florence, Italy in 1992.

The best man was David's son Duncan, with chief usher Alan Edwards.

Iman's maid of honour was her best friend Bethann Hardison.

Besides immediate family, among the sixty-eight invited guests were Yoko Ono, Brian Eno and his wife Anthea, Bono Vox, Eric Idle and his wife Tanya, Geoff MacCormack, George Underwood, Corinne Schwab, Jennifer Ichida (Duncan's then girlfriend), Hervé Léger (who designed Iman's dress), Thierry Mugler (who designed David's suit) and hair arranged by Teddy Antolin. Teddy was a very special guest - in a way responsible for what was happening that day, because it was he who introduced David and Iman at a dinner party two years previously in Los Angeles.

During the ceremony, Geoff MacCormack read Psalm 121 during the service and David's cousin Kristina Amadeus read from Corinthians.

You can click here to read an article from Hello! magazine entitled 'The Wedding of David Bowie and Iman' by Brian Aris from the BW press archive.

Here is the news... according to the latest world official chart releases for DAVID BOWIE...

The Record Store Day 2026 release HALLO SPACEBOY 12" neon pink vinyl EP reached the following positions:

Croatia Toplista Prodaje: #7 / - /
Greece Official IFPI Charts Top-100 Albums Sales Chart (Combined): #72 / #69 /
Hungary Album Top 40 Chart (Physical): #20 / - /
UK Official Vinyl Singles Chart: #4 / #6 / #5 / #6 / #15 / (total 5 weeks)
UK Official Physical Singles Chart: #5 / #6 / #6 / #8 / #18 / #61 / #71 / (total 7 weeks)
UK Official Singles Sales Chart: #5 / #19 / #68 / - / - / (total 3 weeks)

Today marks the anniversary of DAVID BOWIE's first ever lead vocal single release 'Liza Jane' credited to Davie Jones with The King Bees, which was released 62 years ago today, 5th June 1964 on the Vocalion Pop label (V 9221).

Featuring seventeen-year-old Davie Jones (vocals and saxophone), George Underwood (guitar), Roger Bluck (guitar), Francis Howard (bass) and Robert Allen (drums).

Although credited to Leslie Conn, David's then manager who negotiated a one-single deal with Decca Records, George Underwood said the song was originally an old Negro spiritual that the band played around with and came up with this R'n'B song.

Leslie Conn's recollection of the events in 1997:

"I can tell you that I have got a pretty retentive memory, but that is something I can't clearly recall. I used to write songs except that I don't write music and I don't play piano. When the boys were jamming to kind of come up with some ideas to make a record, they came up with some six bar blues, which everyone uses. As they were doing that, I came up with my own idea, which came from nowhere, and we improvised and the song came together. I mean, I would never take credit for something that I never did and I know David wouldn't have agreed for me to sign the contract as writer if he had wrote it himself. I would never have stolen someone else's song on principle. I know that I'm quite vague on that and I can't be absolutely sure how it all came about, but I know that I did come up with a lot of ideas. As for the production of the song that was most certainly me, I arranged and organised the whole thing and I always produced the material I was arranging with Decca at that time. George Underwood is definitely wrong on that point.

"There is a funny story while were still on the subject of 'Liza Jane'. When David and I parted company I went off to live and work in Majorca for a few years and one day I was on the phone to my mother and she said, 'what shall I do with those records I have in the garage' which were a few hundred copies of 'Liza Jane'. So I replied, 'Throw them out', and she did. The last time David came up here he said, 'Have you got any of those records we made, you know they're worth over a hundred pounds each!' I told him I got my mother to throw them all out! We had to laugh."

Backed with 'Louie Louie Go Home', written by Paul Revere and Mark Lindsay, which was incidentally pencilled in as the A-side, both songs were recorded in a seven-hour session at Decca Studios in Broadhurst Gardens, West Hampstead.

The single was re-released by Decca in September 1978 (catalogue number F 13807) and beware there are counterfeit Vocalion copies in circulation. Produced in the USA in 70s, the tell-tale difference between the original and the illegal pressings is the matrix number. On the original 1964 issue the matrix number is machine stamped on the vinyl and on the fake copies it is handwritten.

The official press release for the single from the press room of the Dick James Organisation in May 1964 read...

INTRODUCING DAVIE JONES WITH THE KING-BEES... AND THEIR FIRST DISC 'LIZA JANE'

Pop Music isn't all affluence. Just ask new seventeen year old recording star Davie Jones. Time was (two months ago, in fact) when he and his group were almost on their uppers. No money, bad equipment. Then Davie had a brainwave. "I had been reading a lot in the papers about John Bloom," says Davie. "So I put pen to paper and wrote him a letter." David told Bloom that he had the chance of backing one of the most talented and up-and-coming groups on the pop scene. All he had to do was advance the several hundred pounds it requires to outfit a pop group with the best equipment.

Davie didn't get the money, but he did get a telegram next day from John Bloom giving the phone number of Artist's Manager Leslie Conn. Davie got in touch, he was rewarded with a booking at Bloom's Wedding Anniversary Party. "We were a dismal failure", recalls Davie. "It was a dinner dress affair and we turned up in jeans and sweat shirts and played our usual brand of rhythm and blues. It didn't go down too well. Still we'll know better next time."

However, all's well that ends well. Leslie Conn liked the earthy type of music the group played, arranged an audition with Decca Records which resulted in a contract and the first release by David Jones with the King-Bees. "Liza Jane", released by Decca (Vocalion 9221) on June 5th.

DAVIE JONES WITH THE KING-BEES MET AT BARBERS

Davie Jones met up with his four member backing group the King-Bees when he visited his local barber shop in Bromley. In between clips he got chatting to the four lads, also there to be sheared, about their musical interests, and before you could say "Short back and sides", they decided to join forces.

The group specialise in hard-driving, uncompromising R & B, a brand of music that has won for them a dedicated following in the London area, a following which should soon be spreading throughout the length and breadth of England on the strength of their first disc.

"LIZA JANE", is a beaty, action packed disc which features the direct no-holds-barred Davie Jones vocal delivery. The King-Bees supply a hard core, R & B backing and the whole thing is crowned by a catchy chorus featuring the line "Little Liza Jane".

DAVIE JONES - Seventeen years old, fair haired Davie first got interested in pop music when he was ten. His father's secretary (Davie's father in P.R.O. for Dr. Barnardo's homes) who had previously worked for a disc company, sent Davie a 'Demo' copy of a new Little Richard disc. As the phrase goes, Davie was "knocked out", and when he had scraped together a few pounds of his pocket money, bought a plastic saxophone. Eventually he progressed on to the real thing. Lessons were the next step. "My idol on saxophone has always been Ronnie Ross", says Davie, "So I looked up his name up in the phone book and asked him if he would give me lessons." Ross agreed, but after Davie played him a few bars Ross's comment was: "Right now we can start working on you, that was bloody awful!" Davie gave up his music to take his G.C.E. at 15, then left school and joined an advertising agency as a commercial artist, where he still works.

When he left school Davie was able to concentrated on his music again, this time mainly as a vocalist, playing dance halls and clubs in and around the Bromley area. Then came the hair-cut and the letter to John Bloom...

Davie's favourite vocalists are Little Richard, Bob Dylan and John Lee Hooker. Apart from the saxophone he also plays the guitar. He dislikes Adams apples, and lists as his interests Baseball, American Football and collecting Boots. A handsome six footer with a warm and engaging personality, Davie Jones has all it takes to get to the show business heights, including... talent.

Well worth checking out is a rather fabulous cover-version of DAVID BOWIE's 'Janine' by PAUL ROBERTS.

The track features on his brand new album AGENTS OF MISFORTUNE released 31st May on digital, CD and LP formats.

This is the sixth studio album from Paul which features ten fantastic new tunes, including a spectacular cover of 'Janine' and the single 'Steady Now'.

A sonic journey through classic pop, electro-funk, haunting ballads and guitar fuelled rock, this truly is one of Paul's most epic adventures to date.

The album comes with a 12-page lyric booklet and sleeve notes by Bowie biographer and long-time friend of Paul, David Buckley.

For those unaware, Paul replaced Hugh Cornwell in The Stranglers in 1990 until 2006 and appeared on and co-wrote eight studio albums with the band.

As a side project to The Stranglers, he also played and recorded solo, as Paul Roberts and The Faith Band, The Faith Band, and Soulsec.

His latest album is now available on digital and streaming platforms including: Amazon / iTunes

Streaming: Apple Music / Spotify / Deezer

• On this day, 14 years ago, DAVID BOWIE released the 40th Anniversary Edition of The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars album...

• On this day, 22 years ago, DAVID BOWIE performed at Tommy Hilfiger at Jones Beach Theatre, in Wantagh, New York, USA during his A Reality World Tour...

• On this day, 25 years ago, DAVID BOWIE held an official chat in the BowieNet chatrooms - [Read chat log]...

• On this day, 30 years ago, DAVID BOWIE performed at the Budokan Hall in Tokyo, Japan during his Outside World Tour in 1996...

• On this day, 36 years ago, DAVID BOWIE performed at the Starplex Amphitheatre in Dallas, USA during his Sound+Vision World Tour in 1990...

• On this day, 43 years ago, DAVID BOWIE performed at Wembley Arena in London, England during his Serious Moonlight World Tour in 1983...

• On this day, 48 years ago, DAVID BOWIE performed at the Scandanavium in Gothenburg, Sweden during his 1978 World Tour...

• On this day, 53 years ago, DAVID BOWIE performed at the Gaumont Theatre in Worcester, England during his 1973 World Tour...

• On this day, 54 years ago, DAVID BOWIE performed at the Public Hall in Preston, England during his 1972 UK Tour #1...

• On this day, 61 years ago, DAVIE JONES and THE LOWER THIRD performed at the Pavilion Ballroom in Bournemouth, England in 1965...

• On this day, 70 years ago, REEVES GABRELS was born. Sending Happy Birthday wishes! Have a really wonderful day...

Taking place next week is DAVID BOWIE - PHOTOGRAPHS BY GEOFF MACCORMACK exhibition at SIXTEEN GALLERY in Cheltenham.

Opening on Thursday 11th June at 11am - until Wednesday 17th June at midday.

Geoff MacCormack, life-long friend of David Jones/David Bowie, shared a remarkable journey that began with discovering the birth of rock 'n' roll together as eight-year-olds and continued through worldwide travels in the mid-1970s.

This exhibition presents a series of photographs of David Bowie taken by Geoff throughout their shared time.

About the Artist: As a band member on Bowie's first major world tour as Ziggy Stardust, to the recording sessions for Station To Station, Geoff took the occasional photograph.

Geoff has exhibited his images in highly successful shows across the USA, St Petersburg (Russia), and the UK. He is the author of two books, Station To Station and Rock 'n' Roll With Me, and has also co-written a new book with Jérôme Soligny, called Music Lover due to be released later this year.

Geoff will be in attendance at the gallery throughout the week, and will be selling and signing his book 'Rock 'n' Roll With Me'.

Venue: Sixteen Gallery.
Dates: 11th-17th June.
Address: 16 Rotunda Terrace, Montpelier St, Cheltenham GL50 1SW.
Website: sixteengallery.com

Geoff says "All prints as well as my book will be available to purchase, and I will be around to sign books. See you there."

Taking place next month on Saturday 11th July is THE RISE AND FALL OF ZIGGY STARDUST reimaged starring David McAlmont, Brian Molko, Camille O'Sullivan, Peaches and Nadine Shah at the Royal Festival Hall, London SE1 8XX, England at 7.30pm.

DAVID BOWIE's defiant fifth album is reimagined in incandescent fashion by David McAlmont, Brian Molko, Camille O'Sullivan, Peaches and Nadine Shah.

Fiona Brice arranges and orchestrates Bowie's The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars with a stellar line-up of guest vocalists.

Released in 1972, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars is Bowie's seminal glam rock concept album. It follows Ziggy Stardust, an androgynous, bisexual, extra-terrestrial rock star sent to Earth as a messiah before an impending apocalypse.

The show features some of the album's greatest songs, performed in spectacular fashion, by a line-up including: remarkable art-pop vocalist, David McAlmont; the lead singer and guitarist of Placebo, Brian Molko; singer and master of musical reinterpretation, Camille O'Sullivan; the fearless musician, producer, director and performance artist, Peaches; and Mercury Prize-nominated songwriter and musician, Nadine Shah.

Fiona Brice is a British solo artist, classically trained composer, arranger and multi-instrumentalist (violin, viola, piano and voice).

Beth Greenacre is the visual director of this event. Greenacre is a curator, advisor and consultant with over 20 years of experience collecting artworks for private and corporate collectors, commercial and non-for-profit organisations. Greenacre worked with David Bowie as curator of his art collection for more than 16 years.

For more details, information and tickets, please visit southbankcentre.co.uk website.

HOLY HOLY have announced their 2026 Tour - The Final Tour - 'A Celebration of Bowie'.

Gigs have been announced at the following venues:

SEPTEMBER
3rd: Glasgow O2 Academy
4th: Leeds O2 Academy
5th: Liverpool O2 Academy
8th: Oxford O2 Academy
9th: Southampton 1865
10th: London O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire
11th: Bristol O2 Academy
12th: Manchester O2 Ritz
16th: Birmingham XOY
17th: Newcastle-upon-Tyne O2 City Hall
19th: Hull Connexin Live
20th: Lytham St Annes Lowther Pavilion
21st: Salisbury City Hall
23rd: Netherlands Haarlem, PHIL
24th: Belgium, Lueven Het Depot
27th: Ireland Dublin The Academy
28th: Ireland Dublin The Academy
29th: Belfast The Limelight 1

More details and tickets available via the Ticketmaster.co.uk website.

For those of you who use FACEBOOK - check out the private DAVID BOWIE WONDERWORLD Group.

Feel free to join in with the other 105,500 plus members, add yourself and invite your Bowie fan friends. You never know what might get posted, or who you might meet...

• BOWIE: LIVE ON THE LOCH charity two-day event with David Bowie's band from 2000 at Cameron House, Loch Lomond, West Dunbartonshire, Scotland G83 8QZ on 7th/8th November. In aid of Save The Children - more details

• DAVID BOWIE: YOU'RE NOT ALONE opened on 22nd April tickets available until 10th October at Lightroom, 12 Lewis Cubitt Square, Kings Cross, London - more details

• DAVID BOWIE: MUSIC LOVER: The Inside Story of David Bowie's Record Collection by GEOFF MacCORMACK and JÉRÔME SOLIGNY, hardcover, 224-pages - to be published on 15th September - more details

• HOLY HOLY 2026 Tour - The Final Tour - 'A Celebration of Bowie' gigs in September - tickets on sale now - more details

• THE RISE AND FALL OF ZIGGY STARDUST reimaged starring David McAlmont, Brian Molko, Camille O'Sullivan, Peaches and Nadine Shah at the Royal Festival Hall, London SE1 8XX, England on Saturday 11th July at 7.30pm - more details

• CONSTELLATION "HEROES": Tracing David Bowie's Berlin Album Song By Song by HANS MEERTENS, paperback, 176-pages - to be published on 3rd July - more details

• HEROES: DAVID BOWIE AND BERLIN by TOBIAS RÜTHER, paperback, 184-pages - to be published on 1st July - more details

• BOWIE FRANCE CONVENTION 2026 takes place on 14th June at La Java, 105 rue du Faubourg du Temple, 75010 Paris, France from 15h00-20h30 - more details

• Exhibition: DAVID BOWIE - PHOTOGRAPHS BY GEOFF MACCORMACK at Sixteen Gallery, 16 Rotunda Terrace, Montpelier Street, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL50 1SW, England on 11th-17th June - more details

BLACK STARS: DAVID BOWIE et les Légendes de la Musique Afro-Américaine by LAURENT BEZIZ, French version, paperback - published on 31st May - more details

DAVID BOWIE: FOREVER AND EVER: An Illustrated Biography by CLAUDIO FABRETTI, hardcover, 208-pages - published on 28th May - more details

DAVID BOWIE: FROM BERLIN WITH MODERN LOVE by LIAM COLNER, paperback, 144-pages - published on 15th May - more details

PETER & THE WOLF narrated by DAVID BOWIE, limited edition, yellow vinyl, 180g LP, released on 24th April reissued by Music On Vinyl - more details

Exhibition: BOWIE MIO FRATELLO di David Lawrence, features photographs by Philippe Auliac, Denis O'Regan and more at Spazio Musa, Via della Consolata, 11, 10122 Torino, Italy. Opened 17th April until 12th July, open 11.00-18.00, closed Mondays - more details

Photo Exhibition: BOWIE BY SUKITA in Sweden, Gothenburg, at the former Konsthallen, Gotaplatsen 7 opened 11th April until 30th August - more details

BOWIE ODYSSEY 76 (SPECIAL EDITION) by SIMON GODDARD, hardcover, 200-pages - published on 9th April - more details

BOWIE ODYSSEY 76 by SIMON GODDARD, paperback, 200-pages - published on 9th April - more details

CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY exhibition 'Cosmic Voyager - A Tribute to David Bowie' opened 3rd April until 30th August in the Nathan and Fannye Shafran Planetarium, shows daily at 4pm (except Mondays) - more details

All numbered copies SOLD OUT! Handful of unnumbered copies remaining. DAVID BOWIE - THE YEAR OF THE SCAVENGER luxury collector's book from MAYAK PUBLISHING covering the 1974 period - available to purchase now - to claim your exclusive £10 discount use WONDER10 at checkout, 710-pages - mayakpublishing.co.uk

Exclusive DAVID BOWIE lino-cut print available to PURCHASE - don't hang around, these are ALL the remaining original left-over stock from 42 years ago, once they've gone, they've gone!