Recap | When legends played Hong Kong, from David Bowie and Whitney Houston to Duran Duran
Relive iconic visits and concerts by music superstars Bowie, Houston, Duran Duran, Sammy Davis Jr and Pat Boone when they came to Hong Kong
From David Bowie’s record-breaking 1983 Serious Moonlight tour to Whitney Houston’s diva antics and Duran Duran’s sold-out Queen Elizabeth Stadium shows, these stories turn the spotlight on some of the music legends that have played Hong Kong.
1. David Bowie’s record-breaking 1983 Hong Kong concerts were a sold-out smash
David Bowie electrified Hong Kong with record-breaking shows at the Coliseum and, despite complaints over audience behaviour, the sold-out concerts were a monumental success. The two dates marked the finale of Bowie’s 1983 Serious Moonlight tour and saw massive queues for tickets when the shows were announced.
2. When Whitney Houston was booed on stage in Hong Kong for turning full egotistical diva
Despite initial success, American superstar Houston’s humiliating treatment of a fan on stage resulted in jeers from the audience at her final show. At the time the South China Morning Post reported that her diva behaviour had hit “new highs in egotism – even by the pop world’s standards”.
3. Duran Duran’s Hong Kong shows see Simon Le Bon reclaim teenybop crown at a sold-out Queen Elizabeth Stadium
Duran Duran’s 1989 Hong Kong concerts were a testament to the band’s enduring popularity, except with bosses at the Convention Centre who objected at the eleventh hour to the band playing there. The gigs were moved to Queen Elizabeth Stadium and were a massive success with fans treating singer Simon Le Bon like a god, reported the Post.
