Herbie Flowers Dies: Veteran Bassist Who Worked With David Bowie, Elton John Was 86

Herbie Flowers, a veteran bass guitarist who worked with the likes of David Bowie, Elton John, Paul McCartney and more, has died at the age of 86, according to a family Facebook post.

He died Sept. 5, though a cause of death was not listed.

“While we knew and loved him as Uncle Herbie, his musical contributions have likely touched your lives as well,” Flowers’ niece’s husband wrote online. “He played bass on many of the songs from the golden age of rock.”

Throughout his decades-long career, the British musician most notably worked on tracks like Lou Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side” (the iconic bass line of which he originated and was later sampled by such artists as A Tribe Called Quest and Haim) and Bowie’s “Space Oddity.” He also contributed to Harry Nilsson’s 1971 Nilsson Schmilsson (providing the bass line to “Jump Into the Fire”).

“Not many of us get our own entry in Wikipedia as Herbie did,” the family tribute continued. “Herbie’s musical contributions continued as he worked to involve children in music later in life. Herbie played a huge role in [his niece] Lorraine’s life as a substitute father. Herbie walked her down the aisle at our wedding. She loved him dearly. I was blessed to have known him. We’ll miss you Uncle Herbie! Rock on.”

Born Brian Keith Flowers in 1938, he first began his tenure as a tuba bandsman in the Royal Air Force in the 1950s, where he served for nine years. In the ’60s, Flowers cemented his reputation as a session bassist, working for record producers like Shel Talmy, Steve Rowland, Mickie Most and Tony Visconti. In 1969, he was one of the founding members of Blue Mink (which saw chart success through debut single “Melting Pot”) and played on Bowie’s self-titled album. Per BBC, he is thought to have contributed to more than 500 hit albums by the close of the ’70s.

In the late 1970s, Flowers founded Sky, recording and performing with the band until 1995, during which the group released seven albums. Following the breakup of The Beatles, Flowers worked on the solo albums of its members, including McCartney’s 1984 Give My Best Regards to Broad Street, Harrison’s Somewhere in England and Starr’s Stop and Smell the Roses (both released in 1981).

Other notable contributions include his work on John’s Madman Across the Water in 1971, as well as Bowie’s Diamond Dogs (1974), which featured hit “Rebel Rebel.”

“His work with Bowie and associates over the years is too long to list here,” Bowie’s estate wrote on Facebook in a tribute. “Aside from his incredible musicianship over many decades, he was a beautiful soul and a very funny man. He will be sorely missed.”