LONDON -- Among the outpouring of tributes to David Bowie, the Economist did a fine job of honouring the late singer via an obituary and some brilliantly placed subheadings.
However, the magazine didn't quite represent his childhood accurately, according to Bowie's cousin Kristina Amadeus -- who wrote in to The Economist's letters page to set the record straight.
In her dispatch, highlighted in a tweet from Bowie collaborator Brian Eno on Wednesday morning, she says she "was grateful for the insight and sensitivity in your obituary...but it is not true that he 'grew up as David Jones, a sharp-toothed kid from dull suburban Bromley whose parents held no aspirations for him'."
In fact, she insists, David Bowie was encouraged to pursue his musical interests by both his father, John, and mother, Peggy.
They "spoke often of our deceased grandfather, who was a bandmaster in the army and played many wind instruments" she said, adding that Bowie counted a plastic saxophone, a tin guitar and a xylophone among his first instruments. He even owned a record player which was rare for children at the time.
Amadeus also recalls dancing "like possessed elves" to records by Bill Haley, Fats Domino and Elvis Presley.
Her letter is full of sweet reminiscences of an enthusiastic budding star:
"David’s father took him to meet singers and other performers preparing for the Royal Variety Performance. I remember one afternoon in the late 1950s when David was introduced to Dave King, Alma Cogan and Tommy Steele. 'My son is going to be an entertainer, too' he said. 'Aren’t you, David?' 'Yes, Daddy,' David squeaked in his childish high-pitched voice, his face flushed and beaming with pride.
"Although Uncle John never lived to see David’s huge success," she adds, "he was convinced it would become a reality. My beloved David fulfilled and exceeded all his father’s dreams."
A letter from David Bowie's cousin Kristina Amadeus to The Economist, January 23, 2016 https://t.co/ayNgox6Vnq pic.twitter.com/bIo9YsAT7G— Brian Eno (@dark_shark) January 27, 2016