Marla Kanevsky, all of 14, wrote an honest letter to David Bowie about his concert at the Tower Theater in Upper Darby. The letter was apparently well-received, writes Kristin Hunt for PhillyVoice.
Kanevsky wrote she didn’t really care for Ziggy Stardust when she first heard it, but over time, the music was “life-changing.”
“And in retrospect, Bowie definitely loved honest opinions from people. That was probably what grabbed his attention,” Kanevsky, now 67, said.
Bowie’s management offered Kanevsky a chance to meet the musician for a “personal tea” when he returned for more shows at the Tower. That never happened, but she and a small group of devoted fans did get to dance with Bowie for his “Young Americans” album.
The teens became known as the Sigma Kids, named after the Philadelphia studio where the album was made.
The late rocker didn’t play in the United States until his 1972 international tour, when he played three consecutive shows at Upper Darby’s Tower Theater. The next year, he was back, with seven shows over four days.
Bowie ended up recording his first live album at the Tower Theater.
Read more about the exploits of the Sigma Kids in PhillyVoice.
Editor’s Note: This post first appeared on DELCO Today in January 2026.
