David Bowie: The man who left the Starman with mismatched eyes

The King Bees would soon split up but in various guises Bowie began to build up a following. Within a few years he was off on his own world tours – and was keen to have his friend along for the ride.

“In early ’72 he rang me and said: ‘Hey George, I’m doing a tour of the States for about three months. Do you wanna come with me?’ I’d only been married for about a year but he said: ‘Oh bring the wife, you know, we’ll have a great time.’

“Well you don’t turn that down, do you? Especially when he says: ‘The QE2, first class, is leaving Southampton on Saturday.’”

It was in 1972 that Bowie first adopted his most famous alter ego, Ziggy Stardust, complete with flared jumpsuits and sparkling leotards.

“Seeing the audiences looking at this creature from another planet, their mouths wide open, they couldn’t believe it,” says Underwood.

“When you think about it, how brave he was to dress up like he did, going to some of these places which were pretty rough areas. One place was actually cancelled in Texas because I think there were some threats.”

Come the end of the tour, Bowie asked his friend to join him for more shows in Japan, only for Underwood, with a heavy heart, to tell him: “David, I’ve just got married, it’s not a very good basis for a marriage going on a rock’n’roll tour.

“I’d have loved to go to Japan, but I had a life at home,” he says.