British Bassist And Session Musician Herbie Flowers Dead At 86; Tributes Pour In

LONDON (CelebrityAccess) – Herbie Flowers, the renowned British bassist who played with legends like David Bowie, Elton John, T. Rex, and Paul McCartney, passed away Thursday (September 5). His family confirmed his death via a social media post. The cause of death was not disclosed. He was 86.

A veteran of more than 500 hit albums, according to the BBC – by the late 1970s, Flowers had an illustrious career as a session musician and a band member of groups like T. Rex and Blue Mink. Born Brian Keith Flowers in Isleworth, Middlesex, England, on May 19, 1938, he began his musical journey in the Royal Air Force in the 1950s, initially playing tuba before taking up the double bass. After his military service, Flowers shifted to jazz and session work, collaborating with top producers such as Gus Dudgeon and Tony Visconti. This led him to work on hit tracks like Bowie’s “Space Oddity.”

In 1969, Flowers also tasted pop success with Blue Mink’s “Melting Pot,” a song that reached No. 3 in the UK; despite this, he remained dedicated to session work, contributing to countless hits over the years. His ingenuity and practical approach were legendary—he often recounted how the iconic “Walk on the Wild Side” (Lou Reed) bassline was doubled because he would receive extra payment for overdubbing a second bass track. It was the only Reed song to reach the Top 20 in the US.

Flowers’ creative talents extended further, creating the famous bassline for David Essex’s “Rock On” in 1973. His work with Bowie continued in 1974, including contributions to *Diamond Dogs* and participation in the North American tour. Flowers later reunited with Bowie for Marc Bolan’s last TV appearance in 1977 on Marc, playing alongside both Bolan and Bowie. Flowers’ bass is heard on Bowie’s rendition of “Heroes” from that performance.

In the late 1970s, Flowers co-founded the instrumental band Sky and continued to perform with them until 1995. His session work persisted throughout his life, contributing to the music of Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Nilsson, Bryan Ferry, and Cat Stevens, among many others.

Tributes have poured in across the industry. See some below.

David Essex: “The wonderful Herbie Flowers has passed away. Herbie was a huge part of my music; I am forever grateful, dear Herbie, Rock On x”

David Bowie Estate: “We are very sad to learn of the passing of Herbie Flowers in the last couple of days. His work with Bowie and associates over the years is too long to list here. Asdie from his incredible musicianship over many decades, he was a beautiful soul and a very funny man. He will be sorely missed. Our thought sare with his family and friends.”

Mat Osman (Suede): “RIP Herbie Flowers. So many great basslines – imagine having played on Space Oddity, Walk on the Wild Side and Rock On.”

Tim Burgess (The Charlatans): “Farewell Herbie Flowers, he made the greats sound greater.”

Tony Visconti: “I was sad to hear the news of the passing of the great bass player Herbie Flowers yesterday. When I arrived in London in April 1967, my boss and mentor Denny Cordell recommended that I worked with Herbie on my initial productions. He was hard to get because he was so much in demand, but when I got him it was worth the wait. I can’t remember the name of the song or the session he played on, perhaps it was for an artist I recorded who became the famous Indian film composer, Biddu. Over the years Herbie’s paths and mine often crossed, as I made my living primarily as an arranger and conductor. I was surprised and happy to see that Herbie became Marc Bolan’s bass player on Marc’s TV show, shot in Manchester. Not only did Herbie play on all of Marc’s music, he was also the bass player on Marc’s last show when David Bowie was the guest artist and Herbie played bass on David’s iconic song, Heroes. Herbie Flowers passed at age 86, ‘Good Innings’ as they say in Great Britain.”

RIP.