David Bowie Convention Announce 2023 Speakers

04-20-2023

Event poster

(Reybee) The countdown starts! With less than two months left before the 2023 DAVID BOWIE WORLD FAN CONVENTION on June 17-18, 2023 at New York City's Racket (431 West 16th Street, New York, NY 10011), more exciting speakers have been added to the already brimming marquee. Award-winning singer/songwriter/actor/author EMM GRYNER, producer/engineer/mixer ERIN TONKON and award-winning fashion designer/musician/educator/author KEANAN DUFFTY will each be counted among the aforementioned world-class collection of producers (Tony Visconti, Mark Plati, Tim Palmer), guitarists (Carlos Alomar, Kevin Armstrong), bass guitarists (George Murray, Carmine Rojas), and vocalists (Robin Clark, Joey Arias) as hosted by compere and author and Bowie expert extraordinaire Nicholas Pegg.

Sponsored by Polaroid, the crowned jewel of the weekend, Deryck Todd's BowieBall on Saturday evening (June 17th), announces that award-winning musician JEFF SLATE will join special guest vocalist Ava Cherry and renowned Bowie DJs TheMenWhoFell2Earth for a spectacular selection of performances as hosted by iconic Bowie performer Michael T. Deryck Todd's BowieBall also sees the return of the "Best Dressed Bowie" competition where all attendees are invited to showcase their brightest, boldest, and most daring Bowie outfits in celebration of his innovative impact on the world of fashion.

Marking the anniversaries of Let's Dance (40th) and Aladdin Sane (50th), The 2023 David Bowie World Fan Convention is an unmissable celebration of the music, style, and legacy of David Bowie, jam packed with stardust-spangled grandeur, performances, presentations, art installments, and panel discussions.

Playing keyboard in Bowie's band and appearing on numerous recordings, including his landmark 1999 SNL appearance and Bowie at The Beeb (2000) and Toy (2021), Emm Gryner's performance at Glastonbury 2000 documents her performance in front of more than 100,000 fans at Worthy Farm.

Starting her career working alongside producer Tony Visconti as engineer and production assistant, Erin Tonkon's studio relationship with Bowie culminated in engineering, mixing and performing backing vocals on Bowie's GRAMMY® award-winning final album, Blackstar (2016). Her other credits include master jazz instrumentalist and vocalist, Esperanza Spalding, legendary punk icons, The Damned, and indie rock darlings Lady Lamb.

The multi-hyphenate Keanan Duffty collaborated with Bowie to create a fashion collection for US retailer Target and was invited to be the stylist for the prestigious 2016 CFDA Board of Directors Tribute Award to Bowie featuring Tilda Swinton and Michael C. Hall, which featured original costumes by Kansai Yamamoto and Donatella Versace. Currently the Dean of Fashion at Istituto Marangoni Miami, he is also a member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America and the co-author of Rebel Rebel: Anti-Style (with Paul Gorman, Adelita UK, Rizzoli US, 2009).

As a featured performer at Deryck Todd's BowieBall, Jeff Slate is a fixture in the rock world, having worked with music legends such as Pete Townsend, Roger McGuinn, Jeff Tweedy, and Sheryl Crow. His 2010 single "Dreamtime" assembled a handful of Bowie's collaborators including Carlos Alomar, Earl Slick, among others.