Born David Robert Jones, I first met David Bowie during his original tour of the United States having adapted the stage persona of Ziggy Stardust, a sort of lost in space androgynous alien, complete with cosmic makeup and a painted lightning bolt zig zaging across his face down to his naked chest.

Before venturing across the pond, Bowie had caused quite a sensation in the British press not only because of his outlandish - to some - image of a rock and roller from Mars, but because of his independent and very liberal sexual lifestyle.