The Last Mixed Tape

In 1976, David Bowie became the Thin White Duke. Elegant. Immaculate. Emotionless. Detached.

But behind the perfectly tailored waistcoat and slicked-back hair was an artist whose life was beginning to collapse.

Bowie was deep in cocaine addiction. He was barely eating or sleeping. His paranoia and obsession with the occult were intensifying, while his extraordinary fame had begun to feel less like liberation and more like a prison.

And then the Thin White Duke appeared. At almost exactly the same time, Bowie began saying things that would follow him for the rest of his life.

He spoke approvingly of fascism. He described Adolf Hitler as one of the first rock stars. He became fascinated with authoritarian imagery and was photographed in London in circumstances that led many observers to believe he had given a Nazi salute.

Nearly fifty years later, the question remains: Was David Bowie a fascist?

The Last Mixed Tape is hosted by Stephen White, and is also available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.