Stars turn out to pay tuneful tribute to David Bowie

Musicians joined David Bowie fans at New York’s Carnegie Hall on Thursday night for the first of two sold-out benefit concerts paying tribute to the late veteran rock star. Singers, including Blondie’s Debbie Harry and former R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe, belted out the pop chameleon’s famous hits during the two-hour event commemorating Bowie, who died from cancer in January at the age of 69.

We felt kind of awkward because we are usually so humbly grateful to anyone who wants to participate in this.

Producer Michael Dorf, who said he was humbled by the number of stars who offered to take part.

Carnegie Hall was where Bowie made his 1972 debut in New York, a city where he would live for 20 years. The Carnegie Hall benefit concert, an annual event celebrating singers to raise money for music education for underprivileged children, was announced just hours before the news of Bowie’s death, and tickets sold out quickly. A second show will be held at Radio City Music Hall on Friday.

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