Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Lewis Hamilton was once sent two beautiful guitars as a gift, with no note. They were from David Bowie

‘I love this guitar and will cherish it forever,’ F1 star says

Roisin O'Connor
Wednesday 28 April 2021 15:38 BST
Comments
Lewis Hamilton reveals David Bowie sent him a guitar before his death

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Lewis Hamilton has revealed that David Bowie sent him two guitars before he died, without leaving a note or letter.

In a video shared from the late musician’s official Instagram page, the F1 star was seen explaining the story of how he came to receive the instruments.

“A couple of years ago, I got home to this beautiful gift of these two guitars, and I had no idea where they were from, who they came from and why they were in my apartment,” he said.

Hamilton said it wasn’t until a year later that he discovered the guitars had been sent by Bowie before his death.

“I’m so sad that I never even knew, there was no letter or message with it, but later we found out from someone who said he was a fan, which I found so hard to believe,” he said.

The 36-year-old recalled that his father had encountered Bowie on the street, years before Hamilton rose to fame as a racing driver, and said “he was one of the nicest people ever”.

In a separate clip posted from his own Instagram account, Hamilton shared a video of himself playing one of the guitars.

“Excuse all the mistakes, I’m far from good. But this is first take playing this guitar that David Bowie sent to me some years ago,” he wrote in the caption.

“I love this guitar and will cherish it forever. I never got to say thank you him or his family so if they see this, thank you so much for this. Love.”

Amazon Music logo

Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music

Sign up now for a 4 month free trial (3 months for non-Prime members)

Sign up
Amazon Music logo

Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music

Sign up now for a 4 month free trial (3 months for non-Prime members)

Sign up

Bowie’s widow, Iman, showed her appreciation for Hamilton’s post in the comments section.

Bowie died aged 69 in 2017, two days after his birthday and the release of his final, critically acclaimed album, Blackstar.

He was widely known and loved for his acts of generosity towards his fellow musicians and to fans, whom he treated as friends.

“Too cool,” a message on Bowie’s Instagram account said of Hamilton’s gift. “Whoever you are, wherever you are... keep shining your light #BowieForever.”

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in