Each year at Burning Man, attendees pay tribute to loved ones in a temple that is later burned to the ground. It is a treasured symbol of the festival’s philosophy, and a moving experience for many attendees, who come to acknowledge their loss. The Guardian wrote last week that this year’s temple included tributes to musicians David Bowie, Prince, and Star Wars actor Kenny Baker among the many personal messages and altars to deceased individuals.
But a particularly odd story was also widely reported in the media that some of David Bowie’s ashes were at Burning Man this year. Today, The Independent published a statement from a representative of the rock star’s estate that the claim was simply untrue.
“There is no truth in the story.”
The Independent piece was published the same day as David Bowie’s son, Duncan Jones, denied the Burning Man claims on Twitter. People reported that Jones flatly dismissed the suggestion, calling it a cry for attention. He also made an apparent joking reference to where Bowie would want his ashes dispersed, if he had indeed wanted it done “in front of strangers,” by posting a picture of a long-standing British resort.
That Burning Man thing? What people will do & say for attention never ceases to amaze me. Not true. Kind of a gross claim as well. *sigh*
— Duncan Jones (@ManMadeMoon) September 12, 2016
…We all know if dad DID want his ashes scattered in front of strangers, it would be at the Skegness Butlins. ? pic.twitter.com/0Oh1g9tGke
— Duncan Jones (@ManMadeMoon) September 12, 2016
David Bowie died in January 2016, after a long battle with cancer. Shortly after his death, which few fans expected since the singer’s medical condition was kept private, The Telegraph revealed that Bowie wanted his ashes scattered in Bali. The direction was included in Bowie’s will. The paper also reported that Bowie had been cremated in New Jersey, the neighboring state to Bowie’s New York home, on January 12, two days after his passing.
In addition to David Bowie’s death, the singer’s family has otherwise had a significant year. After Bowie died, Duncan Jones revealed he and his wife were expecting their first child. Their son, Stenton David Jones, was born on July 10, the six-month anniversary of Bowie’s passing. The baby was named after his late great-grandfather (Haywood Stenton Jones) and grandfather (David Bowie), according to The Telegraph .
From Dust to Dust https://t.co/r4Odq1n7qo pic.twitter.com/FQLHrawRZp
— Burning Man (@burningman) September 6, 2016
Last week, Bowie’s widow, Iman Abdulmajid, made her first public appearance since his death. Iman spoke to media at New York Fashion Week, according to People . She wore a necklace with the name “David,” in tribute to her husband. Iman acknowledged it had been a difficult year as she also lost her mother three months after her spouse.
David Bowie died just two days after the release of his final album Blackstar . His last public appearance was at the opening night of the stage play, Lazarus , which he co-wrote. The production features many of his old songs. NME reported that the cast album of Lazarus would also feature the singer’s final recordings, which have not been previously released.
[Photo by Scott Gries/Getty Images]