ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- David Bowie, the iconic singer whose career lasted five decades, has died after a battle with cancer. He was 69.
A representative for Bowie says the rock star died Sunday after an 18-month battle with cancer.
Bowie's career spanned more than four decades, and included just one tour stop in Rochester.
Liza Inzana was there. She figures she saw Bowie perform 19 times, including the 1976 stop, which indirectly, led to one of the more famous photos of the rock star.
"It was huge news, and he's never been back since," Inzana said.
Bowie, Iggy Pop and two other people were arrested after police found a half-pound of marijuana in a hotel room, at what was then known as the Americana Rochester Hotel on State Street. He was held at the Monroe County Jail for a few hours and then released.
"I was still in high school when he had to come back for court appearances. We'd skip school, go downtown. try to get close to him. Try to see him," said Inzana.
"They arrested Bowie, maybe because Iggy didn't have money, I don't know," said Armand Schaubroeck, the longtime propreitor of the House of Guitars.
Bowie would never play in Rochester again. That mugshot, now infamous, didn't surface until decades later, when a local auction house was cleaning out the belongings of a retired city police officer.
Meantime, Inzana still has her scrapbook of time she spent watching Bowie in person, and of an artist gone too soon.
"It's rough. At that age, you're kind of seeing your heroes disappear."
Heroes, who will live on through their music.
"Right through his whole career he managed to really survive, he stayed right on top through his whole career. Most artists come and go. They don't have that lasting power," Schaubroeck said.
"Loved them all. Had them all, and I'm going to miss that," said Inzana. "Wish I could have seen him one more time."