Frankie Goes to Hollywood's Holly Johnson reveals touching call from David Bowie after AIDS diagnosis

11 September 2024, 14:57

Holly Johnson and David Bowie in the 1990s. Picture: Getty Images

By Mayer Nissim

"Like getting a phone call from God."

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Holly Johnson is one of the greatest popstars of the 1980s, having scored three consecutive number one singles with Frankie Goes to Hollywood and grabbing plenty of attention while they did it.

At the start of the following decade, he was diagnosed with HIV and given between two months and two years to live, having fully developed the symptoms of AIDS.

Thankfully, new treatments have allowed Holly not just to manage the disease but to continue performing live, and next year he goes on the road with his Welcome to the Pleasuredome 40th Anniversary Tour.

"For quite a number of years no one rang except a couple of friends like Janice Long and Kirsty MacColl," Holly told The Guardian of the time after he revealed his diagnosis in 1993 – but there was one very special exception.

"I got a phone call from David Bowie, which was like getting a phone call from God. We ended up chatting for over an hour on a Saturday night.

Holly Johnson at the London premiere of David Bowie documentary Moonage Daydream. Picture: Getty Images

"We spoke a lot about art – the Vorticists and Keith Vaughan – and he said, 'I've got a tour coming up; what songs shall I sing?'. So I just reeled off a load of songs that I loved."

In the same interview, Holly admitted that he was surprised by Frankie's one-off reunion to play 'Welcome to the Pleasuredome' last year to celebrate Liverpool hosting Eurovision.

"I'm amazed it came together," he said of the unlikely performance, which felt impossible given the bad blood between Holly and the other members after they reformed without him and guitarist Brian Nash in 2003.

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"There was a ridiculous amount of correspondence in the two weeks coming up to the event. But once we were there and we'd done the job, it was absolutely fine.

"I had a drink with them afterwards at the Bridewell, where we used to rehearse, which is now a bar. It was pleasant to see them and pleasant to leave them.

"Fans ask me about us reforming on social media but I've given up replying – it just seems so unlikely."