As you might have heard in the national news, the late musician, David Bowie, received a uniquely-Austin tribute this week. Sometime on Wednesday morning, downtown’s Bowie Street was mysteriously renamed to David Bowie Street. The changed sign hangs over Fifth Street near the Whole Foods headquarters building…and suspiciously near the South by Southwest offices.
A few days later, SXSW co-founder Roland Swenson and signmaker Jason Carter confessed to making the change. City officials noted that this could be considered a misdemeanor. Prosecution seems unlikely, since they also announced that the revised sign could stay up for a week.
A change.org petition was started to ask the city to permanently rename the street. The original name honors Alamo hero James Bowie, so this petition appears unlikely to be implemented. In the meantime, the sign has become a tourist attraction, and in keeping with Austin tradition, an ad hoc memorial has sprung up on a nearby telephone pole.
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