Gerry Leonard: The Irish man who taught Bowie to say 'Tiocfaidh ár lá' 

In advance of the Dublin Bowie Festival, the Dublin guitarist reflects on his happy days working with the music legend 

 Gerry Leonard will perform at the Dublin Bowie Festival. (Photo by Chris McKay/Getty Images)

Dublin-born guitarist Gerry Leonard returns to the city of his birth in February for a special performance with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra along with two fellow Bowie alumni, Mark Plati and Sterling Campbell. The show is part of this year's annual Dublin Bowie Festival and has been in the making for several years.

A version of the show was broadcast on RTÉ One during the pandemic but now fans near and far have the opportunity to be part of a live audience. "It's going to be dynamite," says Leonard down the line shortly before Christmas, his enthusiasm tangible at a very early hour of the day in New York. "It's something we've been trying to do for many years; it's almost alarming. When the pandemic hit, we turned it into a television show, it was all anyone could do. The concert orchestra had approached me about doing a set of Bowie songs and I immediately thought it was a great idea."