Spandau Ballet star Tony Hadley: 'Playing Celebrating David Bowie event was a pleasure'

The Spandau Ballet star, who lives in Ford, appeared at the Celebrating David Bowie event at Brixton Academy in London on Sunday.

Hosted by Hollywood actor Gary Oldman, the performance brought together generations of musicians who had played as the band with Bowie including guitarist Earl Slick, bass player Gail Ann Dorsey and pianist Mike Garson.

The night featured a rosta of big name guest singers including Duran Duran’s Simon Le Bon, Keane’s Tom Chaplin, Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott and La Roux.

Mr Hadley, who sang the iconic song Changes at the sell-out show, said: “I know Sterling Campbell who was in David Bowie’s band very well and he invited me to come and sing a song, and I couldn’t refuse because I don’t think there is an artist of my generation that doesn’t owe something to David Bowie, it was an absolute pleasure.

“It was fantastic and we had all of Bowie’s band who flew in from LA and NYC, as well as a fantastic gospel choir, it was the full monty.

“I was really pleased to have been asked.”

The emotionally charged event is the only time that Bowie’s musicians will appear together in this way in the UK, and raised money for the Children and the Arts charity. And speaking about his own brushes with the megastar, Mr Hadley, who is himself a gold and platinum selling artist, said: “I met Bowie at Live Aid and also at Bob Geldof’s wedding when he married Paula Yates.

“He was a really nice, quiet guy and was very friendly. Most people that you meet on that kind of level are all really lovely.”

Mr Hadley also touched on how devastating 2016 has been for the music industry, with the loss of a string of icons, most recently his friend George Michael and this week singer Peter Sarstedt.

He said: “We’ve lost a lot of people this year. I’ve got Rick Parfitt’s (Status Quo) funeral next week and George Michael, we still don’t know how he died. I’ve been friends with both of them since my twenties.”