Legendary ‘Walk on the Wild Side’ Musician Herbie Flowers Dies at 86
British bassist Herbie Flowers, who played on hundreds of recordings over the course of a 50-year career and was a sideman to some of the biggest music stars of the 1970s and 1980s, has died aged 86. As NME reported, Flowers played with David Bowie, Elton John, Bryan Ferry, Harry Nilsson, three Beatles (not John), and dozens of other artists. He played the iconic bass lines—both of them—on Lou Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side,” the late Velvet Underground singer’s biggest hit. He was also a member of the final lineup of highly influential glam rock band T. Rex, playing on the band’s swan song album, 1977’s Dandy in the Underworld.
Born in 1938 in Middlesex, Flowers became a musician after he was conscripted into the Royal Air Force, first playing tuba before moving on to the double bass and electric bass. In the 1960s, he became a London-area session player and was a founding member of the group Blue Mink, which scored a hit UK single with 1968's “Melting Pot.”
“Aside from his incredible musicianship over many decades, he was a beautiful soul and a very funny man,” the estate of David Bowie said in a statement. “He will be sorely missed.”