David Bowie Once Challenged MTV On Their Refusal To Play Black Music

The legendary Brixton-born rock star passed away on Monday.

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The passing of David Bowie has left the music world in mourning of an icon.

Whilst best known as a musical innovator who successfully reinvented himself throughout a career spanning over 50 years, the Brixton-born artist once grilled MTV over the lack of black musicians on their network during a press junket for Let's Dance.

Speaking to MTV VJ Mark Goodman in 1982, Bowie asked, "Why are there practically no blacks on the network?" to which Goodman replied: "We seem to be doing music that fits into what we want to play on MTV."

The legendary rock star took the network to task over the lack of black musicians being broadcast.

Citing the pressure to appeal to "New York and Los Angeles" but also "Poughkeepsie or the Midwest", Goodman admits it's a frightening predicament to be in, but was no less prevalent in radio at the time.

Mark Goodman presenting for MTV in 1986.

The 69-year-old rock star passed away on 10/01/2016 after an 18-month-long battle with cancer. 

His latest album, Blackstar, was reportedly influenced by Kendrick Lamar's "open-mindedness" and creativity on To Pimp A Butterfly.

[via Charlene White on Twitter]

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