Depeche Mode’s Dave Gahan reveals David Bowie as his ultimate idol: “His music transformed something for me”
Dave Grahan of Depeche Mode has opened up about his love for David Bowie. The frontman’s comments come from Depeche Mode’s recent Piano Room session for BBC Radio 2, where the group were backed by the BBC Concert Orchestra at London’s Maida Vale Studios.
BBC Radio 2 listeners were keen to hear about Grahan’s biggest idols, so Davies put the question to the man himself. “It’s always been and always will be Bowie,” he replied. “I got to know him a little bit as well in the last few years of his life and our daughters’ went to the same school in New York. So I would see him sometimes you know.”
“We’d have a little nod to each other, as dads at school with daughters,” Grahan continued: “But his music transformed something for me and gave me the ability to believe that I could imagine something else and create something else and find some kind of way to navigate my way through life and through music and his music always does that for me.”
Later in the interview, UK rapper Stormzy asked Grahan to detail his dream festival lineup. “That’s easy,” came his reply. “Bowie.” When it came to supporting acts, the Depeche Mode singer was quick to name Kraftwerk and “the late, great, Mark Lanegan.” You can listen to Depeche Mode’s Piano Room session on BBC Sounds
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