A new biography has cast fresh light on the intensely private final chapter of David Bowie's life, revealing the singer's secret battle with terminal cancer and a previously undisclosed health scare that almost claimed his life years earlier.
The Private Struggle Behind the Public Persona
According to the forthcoming biography, Lazarus: The Second Coming of David Bowie, the iconic musician was diagnosed with inoperable liver cancer in November 2015. However, insiders suggest he had been living with the disease since 2014. Bowie chose to share this devastating news only with a small, select group of collaborators who were directly impacted by his condition.
This profound diagnosis became the creative fuel for his final, critically acclaimed album, Blackstar, and its accompanying stage production, Lazarus. Despite undergoing chemotherapy during the recording of Blackstar, Bowie managed to conceal the severity of his illness from most of his band. Jazz guitarist Ben Monder recalled, "I was the only one in the room that had no idea that he was sick. I thought he looked great."
'A Heartbroken Man in His Eyes'
Those in his innermost circle, however, sensed a profound change. Ivo van Hove, the director of Lazarus, described seeing "a heartbroken man in his eyes." He elaborated in an extract published in The Telegraph, stating he could see "a troubled man, anxious about dying and also about leaving a family behind."
Playwright Enda Walsh, Bowie's co-writer on Lazarus, noted that in the summer of 2014, the singer "seemed completely fine and in great shape." Yet, drummer Zachary Alford, who worked on demos with Bowie around that time, sensed "a weight on his shoulders," unaware it was the burden of a terminal prognosis.
The truth was finally disclosed to key members of the Lazarus team via a Skype call when concealment was no longer possible. Van Hove recounted the shock of the moment: "I was blown away. I don't think I uttered two words because it was totally unexpected."
'Lucky to Survive': Earlier Health Crises Revealed
The biography also corroborates and expands upon earlier reports about Bowie's longstanding health issues. It reiterates a claim made by biographer Wendy Leigh in 2014 that Bowie had suffered six heart attacks in the years before his death.
An anonymous member of Bowie's circle confirmed to the new book's author that the star faced severe health problems "for the last 10 years before he died." Most startlingly, the book claims Bowie "was lucky to survive" a serious health incident a few years prior to his passing in January 2016, adding another layer of struggle to his final decade.
Lazarus: The Second Coming of David Bowie is scheduled for release on 1 January, promising a deeper, more intimate portrait of the artist's courageous and clandestine fight during his last months.
