"Bowie": Never-before-published photos of the rock icon
The legions of David Bowie fans have a new treat in store with celebrated photographer Steve Schapiro's photos of the music icon, many never-before-published, now in a new book, "Bowie: Photographs by Steve Schapiro," released April 2016.
Schapiro first met Bowie in Los Angeles in 1974 for a private photo session, at the invitation of the musician's manager. "Bowie had a very strong sense of personal identity and he had a very strong sense of knowing exactly who he was and where he was going," Schapiro told CBS News. Bowie was seven hours late for the photo shoot, but he arrived alone without an entourage. His creative vision and intensity, not to mention his strong sense of personal identity, was on full display throughout the photo session.
That collaboration between artists provided some of the most iconic album art and magazine images produced that decade, including covers for "Station to Station" and "Low."
For the story on the book: "Photographer Steve Schapiro delves into David Bowie's spiritual side"
Bowie relaxed at his house in Los Angeles, 1975. I particularly liked his hands in this photo.
David Bowie
That first photo session of with David Bowie began with this image. Bowie borrowed a shirt -- a sort of blue cropped-neck shirt -- from one of Schapiro's assistants, then painted those diagonal white stripes on all his clothes. He'd actually painted his toes white as well.
The musician then sat down and started drawing circles and a question mark on the background paper, followed the Kabbalah Tree of Life diagram on the floor. Schapiro explains that there was a spiritual reason for the start of the shoot for the musician. The outfit Bowie created that day was featured on Bowie's 1976 album "Station to Station" and later showed up in the "Lazurus" video from his last and 25th album "Blackstar," released two days before his death.
David Bowie's "Blackstar" debuts at No. 1, first U.S. chart-topper" at CBS News
David Bowie, Los Angeles, 1974
David Bowie
The two artists hit if off instantly, "When David heard that I had photographed Buster Keaton, one of his greatest heroes, we instantly became friends."
Bowie holding a Buster Keaton book near his face, in his dressing room trailer on "The Man Who Fell to Earth: set, New Mexico, 1975.
David Bowie
"David said to wish you all the best with this project," replied Bowie's assistant in October 2015, when Steve Schapiro wrote asking for a small text contribution to the book reproducing their 1974 studio shoot. "We look forward to the book next Spring! [of 2016]."
Bowie died on January 10, 2016 at the age of 69 from cancer, before Shapiro's book was published.
David Bowie's "Blackstar" debuts at No. 1, first U.S. chart-topper" at CBS News
Bowie with a cigarette on a break from filming MFE in New Mexico 1975. This became a Rolling Stone cover and a popular image.
David Bowie
Shapiro: "David out of character. One of my favorite photos of David. I particularly like his hands in this shot," Los Angeles 1975.
That 1974 photo session, which began at 4 in the afternoon, went through the night till dawn.
David Bowie
"We took portraits against a putrid green background which we both felt was the worst possible color to use as a background for a magazine cover." The image eventually became a cover for People Magazine in 1976.
David Bowie
Bowie went through many costume changes, each one seemingly befitting an entirely new and unknown Bowie persona.
Bowie with goggles and bike. Los Angeles, 1974.
David Bowie
Schapiro: "David Bowie took me by surprise when he came out in the red and white striped outfit during the 1974 photo shoot. It was different from what we expected he would be wearing," Los Angeles 1974.
David Bowie
In the makeup trailer for "The Man Who Fell to Earth," Bowie puts in his cat's eyes for a scene, New Mexico 1975.
David Bowie
Bowie with Cher on TV, Los Angeles, 1975.
More on CBS News: "Photographer Steve Schapiro delves into David Bowie's spiritual side"
More Photos: David Bowie 1947-2016
David Bowie
Steve Schapiro's pictures have graced the covers of Vanity Fair, Time, Sports Illustrated, Life, Look, Paris Match, and People in addition to being found in many museum collections. He has published six books of his work, "American Edge," "Schapiro's Heroes," "The Godfather Family Album," "Taxi Driver," "Then and Now In Hollywood," and "Bliss."
"Bowie: Photographs by Steve Schapiro," is available through Powerhouse Books.