On Tuesday night (Jan. 12), Madonna took time out from her scheduled Rebel Heart Tour stop at Houston's Toyota Arena to pay tribute to the late David Bowie by performing a rousing cover of his classic song, "Rebel Rebel."
Before launching into the cover, the pop icon declared Bowie's importance to her as the crowd cheered. “I want to pay tribute to a man who inspired my career," she said to the audience. “If you haven’t heard of David Bowie, look him up motherf*ckers"
“He was one of the geniuses in the music industry, she added. "One of the greatest singer-songwriters of the 20th century and he changed my life when I went to see him in concert in Detroit. He showed me that it was OK to be different. And he’s the first 'rebel heart' that I laid eyes on.”
She then delivered an energetic and heartfelt performance of the 1974 track, which appears on Bowie's Diamond Dogs. In typical fashion, Madonna danced seductively and engaged the crowd throughout the cover.
David Bowie's unfortunate death followed an 18-month-long battle with cancer, and artists everywhere, from Paul McCartney to Lorde, have been paying tribute to his musical legacy. Following his death, fans have been speculating that Bowie's latest album Blackstar, which was released on his 69th birthday just last week, was his final goodbye to the world.
Madonna has already paid tribute to Bowie via her Twitter account posting "Talented . Unique. Genius. Game Changer. The Man who Fell to Earth. Your Spirit Lives on Forever! #rebelheart" with an accompanying picture of the legendary artist.
