David Bowie’s Producer Slams Claims Harry Styles Is the New Bowie

David Bowie’s manager has reacted angrily to claims that Harry Styles is the new Bowie as many started to compare the former One Direction singer to the pop icon shortly after winning his Grammy for Album of the Year.

David Bowie’s Manager Disagrees

Harry Styles won Best Pop Vocal Album and Album of the Year for Harry’s House on Sunday night in Los Angeles, defeating an impressive group of competitors. After some fans claimed that he was aiming to be the “new Bowie” with his success since departing from One Direction, Tony Visconti has dismissed the notion, claiming that Harry is “unworthy of shining Bowie’s shoes.”

Tony Visconti is a 78-year-old American record producer, musician, and vocalist. He used to work with Bowie numerous times, and he slammed Harry Styles on Facebook. Visconti co-produced Bowie’s acclaimed Berlin trilogy in the late 1970s and worked on some of his early songs in the 1960s. After 1980’s Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps), Bowie worked with other producers with varying degrees of success, but the duo reunited for 2002’s Heathen, with Visconti also working on Bowie’s later albums, including his 2016 swansong “Blackstar”.

Harry Styles Compared to Other Major Figures

Styles’ popularity and androgynous fashion sense have prompted some to compare him to the British icon David Bowie. However, this is not the first time Harry Styles has been compared to big rock figures. The former boyband member was once considered to play Elvis Presley before the part went to Austin Butler, and he was also rumored to be in the running to play Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger in a biopic.

Harry Styles has previously stated that David Bowie’s era stars, as well as Bowie himself, are some of his musical influences. He has also specifically cited Prince, Mick Jagger, and Freddie Mercury as musical and fashion influences.