Ziggy Stardust’s Evening with the Hermit

For nearly as long as Jimmy Page has been in the music business, he has been marred by a cloud of mystery. His interest in the occult coupled with his undeniable air of power made him the perfect subject for wicked rumors. His interest in the teachings of Aleister Crowley, once dubbed the most wicked man in the world, was no secret, and his inexplicable talent with a guitar seemed unnatural. The only plausible explanation was that he had made a deal with the devil — or maybe he was the devil himself. Whispers that he practiced dark magick ran rampant, and David Bowie was a firm believer in the rumors that surrounded Page, especially after their encounter in February 1975.

Bowie and Page had known each other since the mid-sixties. Back when Page was a session guitarist, he had played on some of Bowie’s early records. As their careers surpassed all expectations, however, neither felt inclined to keep in contact with the other and they went their separate ways. Nearly a decade later, they would be reintroduced by none other than Mick Jagger.

By this time, Bowie was going through a bit of an occult phase himself — he was heavily interested in the works of Aleister Crowley and saw an opportunity to learn from Page. He was also deeply embroiled in drug addiction, allegedly living off of cocaine and milk, and was constantly in a state of psychic terror. Bowie believed firmly that Page’s air of power had stemmed directly from his interest in Crowley and was determined to pick his brain. Bowie, although perhaps weary, invited Page over to his rented Manhattan home, where, joined by Bowie’s girlfriend Ava Cherry, they engaged in routine rockstar behavior — glasses of red wine over lines of cocaine.

The two musicians discussed everything from music to the paranormal, their discussion punctuated by bouts of awkward silence. Bowie, nevertheless, seized his opportunity and questioned Page about his extreme aura. He poked and prodded as he swept up lines of cocaine, relentlessly inquiring about Page’s knowledge of the occult. Page, however, was only too aware of Bowie’s attempts to pick his brain — and a magician never reveals his secrets.

Ever the hermit, Page would simply smile blankly at Bowie’s unending questions, refusing to entertain these silly prompts — or, perhaps, refusing to divulge his secrets. With every polite smile and moment of silence, Bowie grew more unnerved. His paranoia paired with Page’s enigmatic silence led him to believe that Page was truly evil — perhaps he was even casting a spell at that very moment.

Bowie eventually left the room for a minute, leaving Page to his own devices. In the short time that Bowie was gone, Page, brain-addled by coke and alcohol, spilled his glass of red wine all over a satin cushion, infuriating Bowie.

Bowie had assumed it was Ava Cherry who had knocked over the glass and began to berate her, scolding her for her tactless behavior. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted Page, holding back a laugh. This was the last straw for Bowie, it was one thing to not answer his questions, but to make him appear to be an idiot was entirely another. He felt duped and enraged.

“I’d like you to leave,” he said.

Page simply smiled once more and continued to sit in silence. Bowie snapped his finger toward the open window.

“Why don’t you leave by the window?” he hissed, half expecting to see Page transform into a bat and fly out into the night.

Page, unruffled, stood quietly and slipped out the front door, shutting it behind him with a forceful slam.

Bowie was left terrified. He immediately ordered the home to be exorcized, believing it to be infested with satanic demons summoned from hell by Crowley’s disciples. From that moment onward, Bowie was done with the dark arts. He washed his hands of Crowley and Page and the occult in it’s entirety and fled across the country to California. His unnerving encounter with Page, paired with his paranoia and cocaine addiction, sent him spiraling. He believed witches were after him, that Satan himself was living in his indoor pool. Fortunately, this would be the final push for Bowie to seek help for his addiction, setting him on the path towards recovery.

The next time Bowie encountered Page would be at a party — a party that he would leave immediately.