“I don’t know how I got out of that one,” Grohl said of the embarrassing conversation with the rock legend.

Dave Grohl accidentally insulted David Bowie after seeing him perform: ‘I would never say that to anybody!’

"I don't know how I got out of that one," Grohl said of the embarrassing conversation with the rock legend.

By Sharareh Drury

April 24, 2026 6:37 p.m. ET

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Dave Grohl; David Bowie. Credit:

Araya Doheny/Getty; Evan Agostini/Getty

- Dave Grohl shared an awkward and unforgettable experience recording with rock legend David Bowie, who he described as "otherworldly."

- The Foo Fighters frontman recalled the "Ziggy Stardust" singer asking him to share what he thought of a recent performance.

- "I don't know how I got out of that one," Grohl said of the embarrassing conversation.

Dave Grohl is recounting an awkward conversation with legendary singer David Bowie.

While a guest on the *Dish *podcast, the Foo Fighters frontman remembered being in a studio once with the "Ziggy Stardust" singer after having just seen him in concert. Grohl described seeing Bowie perform live as "otherworldly" and a "religious experience," adding, "He's an angel."

"I told him, when I met him in the studio, I said, 'I just saw you. Like, it was such a trip to see you like in human form, right there right in front of me,'" Grohl told the late singer, who died on Jan. 10, 2016.**

Bowie then asked Grohl to be candid about what he thought of the performance, going, "What did you think? What did you feel?"

"I'm like, 'Oh f--k.'" Grohl said. "So the first thing to come out of my mouth, like an idiot, I said, 'Well, the first thing I noticed was all of your imperfections.'"

Leon Bennett/Getty

Hosts Nick Grimshaw and Angela Hartnett laughed in shock at Grohl's question, to which he said he "backpedalled so fast."

"I don't know how I got out of that one," Grohl said, adding he was amazed at himself for even uttering those words to the Grammy winner. Grimshaw noted that a legend like Bowie might have actually liked the statement, versus being solely fawned over.

Whether Bowie was a fan of Grohl's comment or not, the "Everlong" singer wondered if it inspired the song they ended up recording in the studio that day. Grohl and Bowie — along with Black Francis of the Pixies — had come together to record a track for Reeves Gabrel's solo record.

Grohl said following their conversation, Bowie sat down on the floor with a large bag filled with magazines and postcards and photos. "He lays them out across the floor and he grabs a notebook, and he had no lyrics and he just sort of sat and looked at all of these things and he wrote this song," Grohl recalled. "It was called 'I'm Nothing Without My Face.'"

Bowie performed the song in one take, which Grohl said gave him "chills," and left the studio. As everyone was loading up equipment following the recording session, Grohl noticed Bowie's handwritten lyrics for the song had been left on a music stand, with a hand-drawn self-portrait of the artist also on the paper.

Grohl said he was quick to nab it, and ended up gifting the lyrics with the self-portrait to his sister, who he says "turned me onto Bowie" when he was around 12 years old.**

David Bowie performing in 2004.

Stuart Mostyn/Redferns

In an Instagram post from 2020, Grohl detailed another memorable experience with the rocker, saying years after their studio session, he reached out via email to the singer to record a track with him for a "big budget" film.

Bowie initially had a "very complimentary" response, saying the project wasn't for him, but he would be open to collaborating with Grohl in the future. But when Grohl responded, thanking the singer for listening to the demo and wishing him well, an interesting response came through from Bowie.

"All right, now that’s settled, then f--- off," Bowie wrote.**

The email exchange that followed included quick quips to one another, ending with Grohl inviting Bowie to his future 50th birthday celebration and the two signing off with a few pleasantries. That would be the last conversation Grohl had with the "Starman" singer, who passed away in 2016 following a private 18-month battle with cancer.

Watch Dave Grohl's full interview on the *Dish *podcast* *above.

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Original Article on Source

Source: “EW Musicians”