Singer Steve Hogarth has said he learned of the vandalism of a statue of David Bowie with “a heavy heart and despair”.
The frontman of rock band Marillion unveiled the statue in Aylesbury on Sunday.
The words “Feed the homeless first” were written in graffiti in front of the bronze sculpture by Andrew Sinclair, entitled Earthly Messenger, and “RIP DB” was daubed on the wall beside it.
Less than 48 hours guys. The David Bowie statue in Aylesbury has been vandalised. pic.twitter.com/pxqrGTrCi7
— Justin Dealey (@JustinDealey) March 27, 2018
Hogarth said: “It’s with a heavy heart and despair I hear that within 48 hours someone has defaced Andrew Sinclair’s breathtaking David Bowie double-statue.
“Apparently it’s been vandalised with spray-paint. Such a shame. Hopefully it can be cleaned up and I guess they’ll have to resort to CCTV or, worse, some sort of barrier. Sigh.
“When I pulled the cord to unveil the memorial on Sunday morning I was knocked out by it.
The Earthly Messenger arrives in Aylesbury. Left to right – David Stopps, Howard Jones, sculptor Andrew Sinclair and Steve Hogarth from Marillion. #earthlymessenger #DavidBowie #aylesbury pic.twitter.com/setZhREoJP
— Karl Vaughan (@karlvaughan71) March 25, 2018
“Andrew has really caught the essence of David Bowie as a human being, as well as a phenomenal chameleon of a stage performer.
“Hopefully this is just a glitch and this fabulous work of art will give people a reason to come to Aylesbury for many years to come. It’s worth the trip.”
The tribute to the singer, who died in January 2016, was gathered through grants and a £100,000 crowdfunding appeal.
