LONDON - You can have Sir Mick, and Sir Elton, and Sir Paul, but you'll won't hear Sir David — as in Bowie. The veteran singer was one of the people The Sunday Times revealed as declining honors from the queen.
Bowie said he'd never accept a knighthood and doesn't even know what it's for. Sir Mick Jagger was delighted to become a knight earlier this month. But bandmate Keith Richards (news) called the title a disgrace and paltry honor.

The Sunday Times this week published a list of 300 people — including Bowie, comedian John Cleese (news) and actor Kenneth Branagh (news) — who declined honors since 1945.
About 2 percent of the 3,000 people chosen each year decline, according to the government. Most do so quietly, but last month poet Benjamin Zephaniah publicly rejected an OBE — Officer of the Order of the British Empire — because the title reminded him of "thousands of years of brutality."
"Stick it, Mr. Blair and Mrs. Queen, stop going on about empire," he wrote in The Guardian newspaper.
After the list was published, Prime Minister Tony Blair 's government promised to make the system of awarding knighthoods and other honors more open.
Twice a year the government announces recipients of a host of titles, from knighthoods and damehoods to Companions of Honor, for exceptional achievement or service to the nation. Though the honors are bestowed by Queen Elizabeth II (news - web sites), most recipients are chosen by committees of civil servants from nominations made by the government and the public.


yeah you tell 'em David!!

3,000 people a YEAR? good god, at that rate, every man woman and child will be up for the honor at least once by the time of their death!

Good show mate.

The way things are going at Buckingham Palace, it shouldn't be long before we read that some former Royal Assistant Footman has snatchd Bowie's OBE and put it up for sale on E-Bay.

I think that was pretty cool of him. I like the fact that he said he didn't know what it meant. It means nothing and he knows it! Don't sell out man!

David Bowie is too sexy for the knighthood.

Anxiety said:

Yeah man, he's fast heading towards 60 and he's still a fine looking gent. How does he do that?!

Cloudbuster said:

he probably ingested so many chemicals in his youth that he's now embalmed

5 stars! For the thread AND Bowie.

AaronAlmighty said:

There's probably some truth in that.

Good show. He's already the Duke and the Dame. He doesn't need anymore titles. Especially ones he doesn't give himself.

I saw him on a T.V interview recently, he still looks amazing and he's very witty. He was being interviewed by Michael Parkinson in the U.K.

He's just plain ol class. Mick shoulda checked with his buds before joining the club, because he'll NEVER live it down.

Lleena said:

i saw that too. man, he just rocks. i hope when i'm his age i'm as graceful and groovy like that.

David Bowie deserved the offer. It's only proper rock'n'roll protocol to turn it down. It's nice to see the old guy hasn't lost the plot.