The house where the musician lives David Bowie spent his childhood, which is located in south London, will be restored and then opened to the public, reports MNE magazine.
The London-based charity The Heritage of London Trust has announced plans to restore the house in Bromley, London, with the aim of restoring the entire interior to the period when the young Bowie lived there. The musician lived in the house from 1955 to 1967, from the age of eight to 20.
The project is scheduled to be completed by 2027, and will also be used as a creative workshop for young people, and should become a "strong foothold for future generations" who will learn about self-confidence and communication skills in the arts.
The plan was first announced on January 8, the day Bowie would have turned 79 if he were alive. It also marks the 10th anniversary of the release of his last album, “Blackstar.” Bowie died two days after the album was released. Bowie had been battling cancer for 18 months, and the loss of that battle will be commemorated today.
Geoffrey Marsh, who was in charge of the “David Bowie Is” exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum, will work on the house restoration project.
"It was in that little house, or rather in that little room, that Bowie evolved from an ordinary schoolboy from the suburbs into the beginnings of an extraordinary international star. As he himself said - I spent a lot of time in my room. It was my whole world. I had my books there, I had my music, my tape recorder. On the way out of my world up the stairs, into the outside world on the street, I had to go through a 'no man's land' in the living room," recalled Marsh.
Nikola Stacey, director of The Heritage of London Trust, pointed out that Bowie was "proud to be from London."
"Although his career has taken him all over the world, he has always remembered where he came from and the community that supported him growing up. It's wonderful to have this opportunity to tell his story and inspire new generations of young people. We're excited to have already secured £500 in funding from the Jones Day Foundation, and we hope that people from all over the world will get involved," he said.
In an earlier media interview, Bowie's childhood friend, George Underwood, who was with him in the band 'The King Bees' in the mid-60s, recalled their acquaintance. He described the world-class musician as "a confident kid who was ahead of his time in terms of taste and talent."
"We were interested in everything that came from America or alternative. At that time, rock and roll was just around the corner, and we wanted to be a part of it," he said.
Bowie's birthday was marked by his widow Iman and daughter Lexi who shared their message with the musician's fans on social media, along with joint photos.
"A million feelings, a thousand thoughts, hundreds of memories... You. Happy heavenly birthday," Iman wrote.
The British Library is also preparing an event in honor of Bowie, for the end of January called "David Bowie In Time", and the BBC has announced a documentary about the musician for this year called "Bowie In Berlin".
MZ
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