Photographer Shares Surprising Experience with David Bowie Offstage (Exclusive)
David Bowie’s reputation as a musical innovator has always been matched by his reputation for mystery. He slipped in and out of characters, pushed his image into new territory, and rarely gave away much of himself when the spotlight was off.
That’s why photographer Denis O’Regan’s perspective stands out. His camera followed Bowie into spaces no one else saw and captured moments that blurred the line between icon and individual.
First Encounter Outside Olympic Studios
Their first interaction happened in 1974 outside Olympic Studios in Barnes, London. Bowie was recording nearby, and O’Regan, then a teenager working at a local shop, heard about it. He rushed home, grabbed his camera, and returned in time to take a few photos. The next day, Bowie remembered him and encouraged him to work for New Musical Express.
O’Regan later joined NME as a staff photographer. His first professional shoot with Bowie took place in 1978 at Newcastle City Hall. That assignment marked the beginning of a deeper collaboration that lasted into the 1990s.
Offstage Behavior Contrasted Strongly with His Image
Bowie’s public identity had always been carefully constructed. Fans knew him through characters like Ziggy Stardust or the Thin White Duke, presented with striking costumes and theatrical makeup. The effect made him seem untouchable, as though he lived entirely inside these shifting personas. That made O’Regan expect distance and strict rules around the performer.
Instead, Bowie dismantled those expectations. He allowed O’Regan full access, which was something only a couple of stars of his stature granted. This allowed the photographer to see who he was behind the costumes: approachable, funny, and self-deprecating. He made jokes, did impressions, and even hid a smoke behind his back as if he were a teenager caught in the act.
O’Regan later described him as “unprepossessing,” which surprised readers and Reddit commenters alike.
Celebrities Made Regular Appearances at Shows
Image via Wikimedia Commons/ohn MacIntyre
Despite Bowie’s enigmatic stage persona, he maintained various friendships with fellow artists and public figures behind the scenes. That openness meant his dressing rooms and afterparties often drew an extraordinary mix of visitors.
At a 1983 gathering in New York, Andy Warhol, Yoko Ono, Tina Turner, and Mick Jagger crowded backstage. Even Princess Diana met Bowie in his dressing room during a show at Wembley Stadium in 1987. O’Regan, unsure of formal protocol, asked her directly if she wanted a photo with the artist. She agreed after asking if Bowie would actually want one. The image then became part of the photographer’s collection.
Family Moments and Bowie’s Lasting Impact
By the time of the Sound+Vision tour in 1990, O’Regan was well into his role as an unofficial documentarian. Years of working side by side had turned the relationship closer to friendship. Bowie treated him as a trusted presence.
That closeness extended to O’Regan’s family as well. During a show at Milton Keynes Bowl, he introduced his father to Bowie backstage. Bowie greeted him with a casual “Hello, Dad,” which showed how comfortable he had become around the people in O’Regan’s life.
It was because of that bond that the photographer admitted to feeling uneasy in the years before Bowie’s death. He often thought about the distance that had grown once the tours were over and imagined visiting Bowie at his Manhattan apartment.
However, the news of Bowie’s passing in January 2016 still hit him hard, which arrived only hours after O’Regan had told his young son that he would probably meet Bowie someday.
The suddenness of that loss made O’Regan’s images even more valuable.