By then he had finally found fame with the top five single Space Oddity which soared in popularity due to the Apollo 11 moon landing, yet it wasn’t Bowie’s last appearance in the county.
Just a few months after his chart success, Bowie was booked to perform at The General Gordon pub in Gravesend, however, the crowd booed him off after he played one song and then read poetry to them for 15 minutes.
The Thin White Duke hated flying so would often be seen boarding trains at Dover’s Marine station after returning from the continent and was a guest at Bob Geldof and Paula Yates’ Faversham wedding in 1986, alongside a host of other stars from the era.
Bowie also had strong ties with Sussex.
Fans in 1980 will remember him shooting the video for Ashes to Ashes on the beach at Pett Level but there is one man from the county who got to know him better than most.
“I first came across his music in the early ’70s, my brother was a huge fan, he used to bring records home from the record shop on the day of release,” said Kevin Armstrong, from St Leonards.
“I knew them very well by the time I met David.”