Awards: Disc & Music Echo

David Bowie attended a Disc & Music Echo awards ceremony on 13 February 1970.

The event took place at the Dubarry Room at Café Royal at 68 Regent Street in central London. Bowie would famously attend a ‘retirement party’ there on 3 July 1973, following the final Ziggy Stardust Tour date.

On this occasion, however, he was given the Brightest Hope award, following a readers poll. He was presented with the award by BBC radio DJ Tony Blackburn.

Bowie also posed for photographs with other awards recipients including Lulu, Cliff Richard, and Cilla Black.

The 13th arrived and David donned his ‘special events suit’, the putty coloured, six-buttoned, double-breasted, and headed for the Disc Valentine’s Day Awards ceremony. He was put-out when he heard that Tony Blackburn, who had won the Top DJ poll, was going to present the awards, for Blackburn was not one of his favourite disc-jockeys. When his name was called David accepted the award with barely a glance at its presenter. He then redeemed himself in the eyes of some of the people present when he walked across the floor and gave me the trophy, a gold disc in a leather case. ‘This is for you,’ he said. Several people commented on the charm of this gesture, but I had a sneaking suspicion that he couldn’t wait to get rid of the thing.