Nile Rodgers Says Working With David Bowie Was the Greatest Moment of His Life

Nile Rodgers famously collaborated with Davie Bowie on his 1983 release, Let’s Dance, which is still Bowie's best-selling album to date. In a new interview with Pitchfork, Rodgers opened up about his late friend and collaborator, including the fact that he didn't know he was sick, despite Rodgers himself enduring a public battle with prostate cancer before defeating the disease. "I was a little bit sad that he didn’t call me because I’m so close to everybody [in Bowie’s camp]," Rodgers said.

In discussing the making of Let's Dance, Rodgers revealed the process was seamless and quick, with Bowie placing full control in Nile's hands. "I made Bowie’s album the same way I make Chic albums... It was all about Bowie having such confidence in us." Even more profound is how Rodgers remembered Bowie's attitude towards him and his progressive attitude towards race. "As a black man in America, there’s not a day that goes by that I’m not reminded of being black. It has nothing to do with me. Some people are just uncomfortable with my presence. It’s never gone away. With Bowie, though, I never felt that at all."

There was also that moment that Rodgers thought Bowie was going to fire him over a corny riff. Instead, Rodgers recalled Bowie loving the riff and telling him, "If you always approach it in an artistic way, you can’t be corny, because it’s just not in you." Read Nile's full interview about his late friend and collaborator over at Pitchfork. You can also check out more artist's reactions to Bowie's sudden passing here.