Madonna paid tribute to the late rock legend David Bowie during a Houston concert on Tuesday.
Madonna had previously eulogized Bowie in a series of tweets after news of his death broke on Sunday, but she took homage a step further during a stop on her Rebel Heart tour.
“I want to pay tribute to a man who inspired my career,” she said, as seen in a video shot by a fan (below). “If you haven’t heard of David Bowie, look him up motherfuckers.”
“He was one of the geniuses in the music industry, one of the greatest singer-songwriters of the 20th century and he changed my life when I went to see him in concert in Detroit,” she continued. “He showed me that it was OK to be different. And he’s the first rebel heart that I laid eyes on.”
Bowie passed away on Sunday after an 18-month battle with cancer. He continued to be professionally active right up until his death, with his latest album “Blackstar” released on Friday, Jan. 8 — his 69th birthday. He is set to be honored at a concert at Carnegie Hall on Mar. 31 featuring the Roots, Cyndi Lauper and the Mountain Goats.
The multi-talented artist also has a stage musical, “Lazarus,” running Off Broadway, which features his musical catalogue and stars “Dexter” actor Michael C. Hall. The show, which made many critics’ top 10 lists, runs through Jan. 20 and is based on the book that inspired his 1976 movie “The Man Who Fell to Earth.”
Watch the video below.