Lulu confirms she had sex with David Bowie, recounts 1970s romance
Singer says the relationship was more than a fling and discusses memory gaps and boundaries
Pop singer Lulu has for the first time confirmed that she had sex with David Bowie, recounting a 1970s romance that began after they met at a Sheffield hotel. The revelation comes as she promotes her forthcoming memoir and a tour, offering a window into a high-profile pairing that has long been the subject of speculation.
Speaking about the encounter in excerpts from her memoir If Only You Knew, Lulu says the night is remembered only in part because she was “a bit tipsy,” but stresses that their relationship was about more than sex and that Bowie “honoured me.” “I have never said yes, I had sex with David Bowie, until now. This is the first time I’ve said it because I’ve always chosen not to speak about it,” she writes, adding that the moment was private and that she cannot remember every detail. “It was private. And if I’m 100% honest, which I have decided that’s what I’m going to be, I think I was slightly pissed. I can’t really remember. Only to say that he got me there and we were in his room, and you know, we performed the acts and I don’t have to go into bloody details because I can’t actually remember details, but I wouldn’t share them anyway. I do have boundaries. I’m learning to have boundaries.”
But Lulu emphasizes that the connection was not solely physical. “But the point is, I did and it was an incredible experience to work with a guy like that, to be in his orbit. He honoured me,” she writes, adding that she sought love and reciprocity far beyond a casual affair: “I’m only looking to be loved and to give love. And I don’t mean I want to have affairs, and it’s about sex. It’s about a much deeper thing than that. And that was what we shared. I felt he saw me.”
In other excerpts, Lulu confronts fears about sex from earlier in her life. She describes growing up when the topic was not openly discussed, and she writes that the idea of sex made her feel “very self-conscious.” “I wasn’t a fan. I was a musician. But, the truth is, I was also afraid of sex. It had never been openly discussed in my home and Betty [her mother] had made it seem almost shameful, one of the many threads that coursed through the black rage between my parents. I wanted love, I wanted romance. I was just scared of the reality, so I spent my time wrapped up in fantasy, in love with the idea of love.”
The memoir excerpt also notes a later, more personal struggle: Lulu’s battle with alcoholism and her recovery. She describes a period of secrecy about her drinking, saying she was a “secretive” alcoholic and that the idea of getting help did not come easily. The book recounts the moment she decided to seek help as her tour began, and she details how her sister, who is a psychotherapist, recognized the pattern and supported her in seeking treatment. Lulu notes that her father, Eddie Lawrie, was not offered the same level of help in his era, a reflection she says remains painful to consider. "My father. They would say 'Oh Eddie likes a good drink'. They would never say... Back in that day they didn’t have the tools to be able to help themselves," she reflects.
During a recent appearance on This Morning, Lulu spoke openly about her alcohol use and recovery, fighting back tears as she discussed the path that led to her last drink in November 2013. Hosts Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard listened as she described the process of acknowledging the problem and seeking rehab, emphasizing the support she has received from family, including her sister. She described how her sister’s professional background helped them have constructive conversations about seeking help, and she recalled the moment when she told her family she needed help and would pursue rehab the following day. The interview also highlighted the broader arc of Lulu’s career, including her rise to fame with hits like Shout in the 1960s and the ongoing work on her memoir and tour.
As Lulu continues to tour while promoting If Only You Knew, readers and fans are receiving a more intimate portrait of a public figure whose life has intertwined with music history for decades. The revelations about her relationship with Bowie illuminate a period when both artists were at the height of their fame, while her candor about vulnerability, boundaries, and healing adds another layer to her already considerable legacy in culture and entertainment.