The house in South London where David Bowie grew up has been acquired by the Heritage Of London Trust. Fans will be able to visit his childhood Bromley terrace house and retrace the late star’s footprints, visiting his bedroom and partake in art workshops. Bowie’s friend George Underwood, the man responsible for Bowie’s dilated eye, said: “It’s amazing that it all started here, from such small beginnings, in this house. We were dreamers, and look what he became.”
DAVID BOWIE’S childhood home in South London is set to become a major tourist attraction.
Heritage of London Trust have acquired the modest two up, two down terrace cottage at 4 Plaistow Grove in Bromley where the Starman – born David Robert Jones – began his musical journey.
Due for completion in late 2027, the house will be restored to its original early 1960s appearance and create an immersive experience for fans that will centre on Bowie’s 9 ft x 10 ft bedroom – where he wrote his early song ideas from the age of 8-20.
Curator Geoffrey Marsh, who was also behind the V&A’s David Bowie Is exhibition, said: “It was in this small house, particularly in his tiny bedroom, that Bowie evolved from an ordinary suburban schoolboy to the beginnings of an extraordinary international stardom – as he said, ‘I spent so much time in my bedroom. It really was my entire world. I had books up there, my music up there, my record player. Going from my world upstairs out onto the street, I had to pass through this no-man’s-land of the living room’.”
At the unveiling of a blue plaque outside the building, Marsh was joined by Bowie’s childhood friend George Underwood, the man who famously punched Bowie in the eye, leaving him with his distinctive permanently dilated left pupil.
Underwood, who remained close to Bowie up until his death in 2016, said: “We spent so much time together, listening to and playing music. I’ve heard a lot of people say David’s music saved them or changed their life. It’s amazing that he could do that and even more amazing that it all started here, from such small beginnings, in this house. We were dreamers, and look what he became.”
As well as becoming a Mecca for Bowie fans, the house will host creative and skills workshops for young people, teaching confidence and communication skills in the arts.
A major £500,000 grant from the Jones Day Foundation, a charitable foundation funded by attorneys and staff of the Jones Day law firm, has already been secured to anchor the restoration, with a public fundraising campaign launching this month.
The house is near the Edwardian ‘Bowie bandstand’ – where the young musician performed in 1969 – which was restored by Bromley Council and Heritage of London Trust in 2024.
Dr Nicola Stacey, Director of Heritage of London Trust, said: “David Bowie was a proud Londoner. Even though his career took him all over the world, he always remembered where he came from and the community that supported him as he grew up.
“It’s wonderful to have this opportunity to tell his story and inspire a new generation of young people and it’s really important for the heritage of London to preserve this site. We are thrilled to have already secured a major grant of £500,000 from the Jones Day Foundation towards the project, and hope that people everywhere will want to be involved.”
Bowie passed away ten years ago on January 10, but his song ‘Heroes’ has never been bigger. New Year’s Day saw the broadcast on Netflix of the final episode of Stranger Things climaxing with Bowie’s anthem.
As a result ‘Heroes’ is enjoying a huge 500% streaming surge around the world and is expect to be reach a new chart peak. The decision to end the show with the iconic track was suggested by actor Joe Keery, who plays Steve Harrington on the show and records music under the name Djo.
Speaking to Netflix Tudum, the show’s co-creator Ross Duffer said: “Once Joe said that, we immediately knew that was the right song to end the show on because it is, in some ways, an anthem for Stranger Things. To use the original Bowie version just felt right and fitting for the conclusion.”
*Bowie: His Life And His Legacy is a must-have new magazine for fans available now from Reach magazines.
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