Bono has paid tribute to the late David Bowie, saying that he is his idea of a rock star, describing him as "so vivid. So luminous. So fluorescent."
In a new special David Bowie memorial issue of Rolling Stone, the U2 frontman shares his recollections of the Starman singer, from growing up listening to his music to meeting him when U2 were recording Achtung Baby.
Bono stated that although he has "played at being a rock & roll star" he isn't really, while Bowie is to him the perfect rock star.
He said: "Right now, I'm in Myanmar, a little cut off from the reaction to David's passing, but I can assure you the sky is a lot darker here without the Starman."
The 55-year-old Dublin-born singer became friends with Bowie after U2 became successful, and Bono credits Bowie with helping to guide the band, saying: "He came and visited us when we were mixing Achtung Baby - and, of course, he had introduced us to Berlin and to Hansa Studio. We had a playful sort of banter - he would really go there in conversations, and we would even occasionally hurt each other's feelings."
Bono went on to explain that Bowie didn't pull his punches when it came to voicing his opinions, saying he made some negative remarks about his Broadway musical Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, which he co-wrote with The Edge.
The article continued: "He [Bowie] took his daughter to a matinee, and he sent me the reasons he didn't like it and everything he said was really helpful, because it was in the early days of the show."
Bono went on to say that he reached out to Bowie this year on his birthday, two days before he passed on January 10.
He said: "I sent him a picture of myself and Jordan toasting him on his birthday this year. I sent him a long email, and I sent him a beautiful poem by Michael Leunig called Love and Fear — one line goes, 'there are only two feelings/love and fear.'
"I didn’t hear back, but I was told he got it."
