(Recasts, adds details on Bowie's bonds deal, previous LONDON)
By Piya Sinha-Roy, Guy Faulconbridge and Marie-Louise
Gumuchian
LOS ANGELES/LONDON, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Sales of David
Bowie's last album - released two days before his death from
cancer - soared on Monday along with downloads of his greatest
hits, testimony to the powerful appeal of a pioneer in pop
culture and the music business.
Streaming giant Spotify said streams of Bowie's music were
up 2,700 percent on Monday, while the Official Charts Company in
the UK said Bowie's "Blackstar" album was headed to the top spot
on the charts with sales of 43,000 since its Friday release.
Bowie, who produced hits such as "Ziggy Stardust" during a
career featuring daringly androgynous displays of sexuality and
glittering costumes, died at age 69 on Sunday.
He was the first recording artist to sell bonds, known as
'Bowie Bonds,' against his intellectual property and backed by
future earnings of his music.
The bonds, which are now paid off, were bought by Prudential (L:PRU)
Insurance in 1997 for $55 million, and let Bowie retain
ownership of his work rather than selling the copyright.
The model, constructed by investor David Pullman, was later
adopted by artists such as James Brown and the Isley Brothers.
In an interview on Monday, Pullman estimated that Bowie's
estate could be valued upward of $100 million, in part because
Bowie owned 100 percent of his music.
"He was smart enough to have confidence in himself. Most
artists sell themselves short, and they don't hold out for the
rights," Pullman said. "He was able to retain his legacy. His
songs were his baby."
The move also spared Bowie taxes he would have faced had he
sold the rights, Pullman said.
"The real annuity for an artist's estate is owning copyright
and catalogue. That's the revenue stream," said Bill Werde,
chief executive of entertainment agency Fenton and former editor
of music trade publication Billboard.
Still, he said, Bowie bonds were not all about money. "This
was more about Bowie's blood, sweat and tears, and the idea that
someone else owned part of it never sat right with him," Werde
added.
'PARTING GIFT'
The critically praised "Blackstar" was the top-selling album
on Apple's AAPL.O iTunes U.S. and UK platforms on Monday
morning. Bowie's longtime producer, Tony Visconti, called the
album the singer's "parting gift."
The 2002 "Best of Bowie" compilation album was the second
most popular on the U.S. site, outpacing Adele's blockbuster
album "25."
Bowie's 1972 album "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and
the Spiders from Mars" was in fourth place on the U.S. iTunes
platform, according to the site. Apple does not generally
release iTunes sales or download figures.
On Amazon's AMZN.O U.S. and UK websites, "Blackstar" was
the No. 1 "best seller" on Monday.
In a music video accompanying the album's first single,
"Lazarus," the singer is shown in a hospital bed with bandages
around his eyes.
"Look up here, I'm in heaven," Bowie sings. "I've got scars
that can't be seen. I've got drama, can't be stolen. Everybody
knows me now. Look up here, man, I'm in danger. I've got nothing
left to lose."