On January 10th, music legend David Bowie died following an 18 month battle with cancer at the age of 69. Tributes and accolades are pouring in from the hard rock / heavy metal community, which is still reeling from the loss of another icon, Motörhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister. Drummer Mike Portnoy (The Winery Dogs, ex-Dream Theater) has posted the following tribute to Bowie:

"Still in shock over yesterday's news...

Just thinking of all the ways David Bowie's music affected my life for the past 45 years when I began listening to him. I loved the song 'Memory Of A Free Festival' when my dad introduced me to it when it was released; I was about 3 years old.

- Ziggy Stardust to this day is still in my Top 5 albums of ALL TIME (along w/Sgt Pepper, Tommy, The Wall and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road). An absolute masterpiece from the opening of '5 Years' to the closing of 'Rock N' Roll Suicide'. I covered 'R&R Suicide' on my Cover To Cover CD with Neal Morse. Hard to believe Ziggy has now been reunited w two of his Spiders From Mars: Mick Ronson and Trevor Bolder

- As much as Ziggy is my favorite Bowie album, my two favorite songs of his did not appear on that album: both 'Space Oddity' and 'Life On Mars' are among my favorite songs EVER. Both of them absolute masterpieces in terms of writing, performance and production. The mellotron on 'Space Oddity' and the cellos on 'Life On Mars' both still give me goosebumps every single time.

Two later career memories that really touched me:

- the song 'Slip Away' from the Heathen album (written for two of my childhood TV favs Uncle Floyd and Oogie) still makes me cry every time I hear it. I am not exaggerating.

- his appearance on Ricky Gervais' Extras was one of the greatest cameos of all time. My fave episode of the whole series.

Finally... I don't think many people ever caught this, but look at the shirt I am wearing on the cover of the Winery Dogs first album...yep, Ziggy Stardust is right there with me, Billy and Richie. And one of the unreleased covers we recorded during that first session was 'Moonage Daydream'.

Thank You David Bowie for being a part of my entire life. Your music and memory will live with me and millions of your fans forever."