David Bowie headed to No. 1; producer discusses his last months

ajc.com

Credit: Melissa Ruggieri

Credit: Melissa Ruggieri

David Bowie's final photo, taken in December. Photo: Jimmy King

Credit: Melissa Ruggieri

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Credit: Melissa Ruggieri

BY MELISSA RUGGIERI

In death, David Bowie might achieve his first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200.

Bowie's "Blackstar" album, released on the singer's 69th birthday Jan. 8, is expected to sell about 130,000 copies for the week ending Jan. 14, which would give it a No. 1 bow on the Billboard chart. Bowie died two days after its release after a year and a half battle with cancer.

The album is expected to dislodge Adele’s “25” from the top perch (that album recently set a record as the first by a woman since 1987 to spend its initial seven weeks at No. 1).

In the days following Bowie's death, Amazon U.S. and U.K. have sold out of every one of the music icon's albums - and have been accused of raising prices to capitalize on his passing.

Bowie’s highest-charting album has been 2013’s “The Next Day,” which debuted at No. 2. In his lifetime, according to Billboard, Bowie brought seven Top 10 albums to the chart.

The next issue of Rolling Stone will feature a Bowie memorial, but the magazine’s website recently posted a revealing interview with Tony Visconti.

Bowie’s longtime friend and producer shares, among other insights, that Bowie told him about the cancer diagnosis last year. While the singer knew that his condition was terminal, it seems he thought he had more time considering he called Visconti last week to discuss a follow-up to “Blackstar.”

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