David Bowie’s Stylish Mug Shot From His 1976 Marijuana Bust

David Bowie all the time guyelderly to appear cool, even if he used to be being booked for a criminal.

In early 1976, Bowie used to be on his “Isolar” excursion, in step withshapeing because the Skinny White Duke, a in step withsona he would describe as “an overly Aryan fascist sort — a would-be romantic without a emotions in any respect.” Bowie invited his good friend and a fewtime creative collaborator Iggy Pop to travel with him.

Within the early morning hours of March 21, after a concert on the Community Conflict Memorial arena in Rochester, New York, 4 native vice squad detectives and a state police investigator searched Bowie’s three-room suite on the Americana Rochester Lodge. According to stories within the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, the law enforcement officials discovered 182 grams (a little over 6.4 oz.) of marijuana there. Bowie and 3 others — Pop, a frameguard named Dwain Voughns, and a tender Rochester lady named Chiwah Soo — have been charged with fifth-degree criminal possession of marijuana, a category C criminal, punishin a position by way of as much as 15 years in jail.

Bowie and Pop have been booked beneath their actual names, David Jones and James Osterberg Jr. The gang spent the remainder of the evening within the Monroe County Prison and have been launched at about 7 a.m. on $2,000 bond each and every. They have been supposed to be arraigned day after today, however Bowie left the town to visit his subsequent concert in Springbox, Massachusetts. His attorney gave the impression and requested for the courtroom’s indulgence, give an explanation foring the heavy penalties for wrecking concert interactments. He promised the pass judgement on that Bowie would seem the following morning, March 23.

Bowie confirmed up for his arraignment glanceing dapin step with in his Skinny White Duke fabricing. It used to be then that his mug shot used to be taken — so we’ll never actually know what Bowie gave the impression of when he used to be unexpectedly dragged into prison at 3 a.m. The police escorted the rock superstar out and in of the courtroomroom maximumly thru again corridors, protecting him from a crowd of lovers who confirmed up on the courtspace. Reporter John Stewartwork describes the scene in day after today’s Democrat and Chronicle:

Bowie and his staff disregarded newshounds’ shouted questions and lovers’ yells as he walked in — aside from for one teenager who were given his autograph as he stepped off the escalos angelestor.

His greatest greeting used to be the screams of a few half-dozen suspected professionalstitutes look ahead toing arraignment within the rear of the corridor outfacet the courtroomroom.

Requested for a plea by way of Town Court docket Pass judgement on Alphonse Cassetti to the rate of fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, Bowie mentioned, “now not accountable, sir.” The courtroom used his actual identify — David Jones.

He stood demurely in entrance of the bench along with his attorneys. He wore a grey three-piece recreational go well with and a faded brown blouse. He used to be hanging a fiting hat. His two companions have been arraigned at the similar rate.

The protection attorney instructed the pass judgement on that Bowie and the others had never been arrested earlier than. The pass judgement on allowed them to stay loose on bond till a grand jury convened. Bowie and his entourage went on with their excursion, and the grand jury eventually decided to not indict anyone. The incident used to be massively forwere giventen till an auction space make use ofee named Gary Hess stumbled on Bowie’s mug shot whilst typeing throughout the property of a retired Rochester police officer. Hess rescued the photo from the trash bin, according to an article in Rochester Submeans, and in past due 2007 his brother bought it on eBay for $2,700.