David Bowie Has Reportedly Retired From Touring

David Bowie has been relatively busy on the recording front in recent years, but he may have turned his back on touring for good.

That's the word anyway from U.K. concert promoter John Giddings, who's quoted as saying that Bowie told him personally he's retired from the road. "David is one of the best artists I’ve ever worked with," he explained. "But every time I see him now, before I even speak to him, he goes, 'I’m not touring' and I say, 'I’m not asking.'"

Giddings, whose impressive list of professional credits includes promoting the Isle of Wight festival and a lengthy association with Bowie that dates back to his 1987 tour, argued that at this point, Bowie's earned the right to do as much or as little as he'd like. "He has decided to retire and, like Phil Collins, you can’t demand these people go out there again and again and again," he added. "I’m really pleased and proud that the last show he ever did in the U.K. was the 2004 Isle of Wight Festival."

If Bowie's truly retired — and ends up staying that way — he will have ended his career as a traveling live performer with one of his longest-ever tours. His most recent outing, a 113-date run booked in 2003-04 in support of his Reality LP, ended prematurely after a blocked artery forced the cancellation of the tour's final month, meaning Bowie's last-ever tour stop may have taken place on June 25, 2004.

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