Artist George Underwood is taking part in a charity exhibition inspired by a lyric written by his school friend and creative collaborator David Bowie, but it is a particular episode in the late music legend’s life that he will always be remembered for. Underwood is best known as the man who “changed the colour” of Bowie’s left eye forever, following a row about a girl called Carol to whom they had both taken a liking. Bowie falsely boasted to Underwood that he had been out with Carol, and Underwood punched him in the eye as a result. The punch damaged Bowie’s pupil permanently and gave his left eye the impression of being a different colour from his right.
Underwood first met David Robert Jones, who became David Bowie, soon after the future star had moved from Brixton in south London to the quiet suburb of Bromley. The pair were both enrolling for the Cubs and started talking about music, TV programmes and everything fashionable at that time. They soon became best friends and attended Bromley Technical College together, where they were taught art by Owen Frampton, father of future rock star Peter Frampton.
At Bromley Technical, Underwood forever changed the look of David Bowie, leading to his iconic appearance. Underwood and Bowie were trying to woo a girl named Carol but Bowie told Underwood that she was going out with him instead. Underwood punched him in the eye after school, permanently damaging his left pupil. “It was just horrible. I didn’t like it at the time. But of course later on, lo and behold, he says I did him a favour because it’s given him this enigmatic, otherworldly look,” said Underwood.
During this period, music began to take over their lives, and they formed a band, The Konrads, where Underwood was the singer and Bowie played his saxophone. Later, they formed the King Bees, where Bowie’s thirst for fame became evident in a note to John Bloom, who was the equivalent of Richard Branson at that time. The band received a telegram in response, providing them with the phone number for Leslie Conn, who became their manager. The band eventually split up, but Bowie continued to build up a following, becoming a worldwide sensation in a few years.
Bowie, who released 111 singles, including hits such as Ashes to Ashes, Space Oddity, Changes, and Heroes throughout his career, remained lifelong friends with Underwood after they first met as young children. In the early ’70s, Bowie invited Underwood to join him on a tour of the United States for about three months. “I’d only been married for about a year but he said: ‘Oh bring the wife, you know, we’ll have a,” recalled Underwood
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