Holly Johnson recalls David Bowie’s act of kindness after his HIV diagnosis

Sign up to Roisin O’Connor’s free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music Get our Now Hear This email for free Get our Now Hear This email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “For quite a number of years no one rang except a couple of friends like Janice Long and Kirsty MacColl.” There was another exception, he said: “I got a phone call from David Bowie, which was like getting a phone call from God. “We spoke a lot about art – the Vorticists and Keith Vaughan – and he said, ‘I’ve got a tour coming up; what songs shall I sing?’ So I just reeled off a load of songs that I loved.” Bowie, who was known for his acts of generosity, died on 10 January 2016, aged 69. open image in gallery Holly Johnson said Bowie was one of the few friends who called him after he was diagnosed with HIV Johnson’s colourful life is the subject of a new exhibition opening this weekend at the Museum of Liverpool. Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 4 month free trial Sign up Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 4 month free trial Sign up "Everything I was ever drawn to, through a lens of queerness and controversy, I brought with me into the future we live in now.” open image in gallery Singer Holly Johnson of British band Frankie Goes To Hollywood, 1986 Johnson is also embarking on a 40th anniversary tour of Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s debut album, Welcome to the Pleasuredome, which will see him perform six dates in venues including the Royal Albert Hall in London. Yet Johnson appeared to write off any chance of a full reunion tour: “Fans ask me about us reforming on social media but I’ve given up replying,” he told The Guardian.