Sandys MP Michael Scott said he was shocked and surprised to learn of the death of David Bowie, who he knew as a neighbour.

Mr Scott, who once made Mr Bowie and his wife a traditional codfish breakfast, said: “He was always a fascinating artist, but when I met him he was just a husband and a father. I didn’t see the David Bowie who was this great international artist, I saw the husband.

“I was always in awe of what he had accomplished as an artist and what Iman had accomplished as an international model, but that didn’t get in the way of us talking about ordinary things.”

Mr Scott said he was first introduced to Mr Bowie by Andrew Newmark, a Bermudian drummer who worked with him, which he described as a “thrilling and exhilarating experience”.

“We enjoyed many wonderful occasions together and I introduced the Bowies to a number of Bermudian friends and family,” he said.

“To meet David and Iman was doubly thrilling and was a great privilege for me. They were a power couple who were living almost a stone’s throw away. David Bowie first and foremost was always a true gentleman. He was unassuming and wholly disarming, given his truly rock-star status and artistry as a singer and actor.

“Before meeting this icon, I had watched the movie, The Man Who Fell To Earth, which had a big impact on me for its art form and message.

“So with these thoughts swirling in my mind, I met David and was enchanted by his easy-going manner, his warmth, his sense of humour, sometimes sense of mischief. He was a deep thinker and had a powerful capacity for inquiry; he definitely possessed an inquiring intellect. So to be around David was an impactful experience, never boring, always pleasant.

“It struck me that it was David’s supreme honour to be Iman’s husband. He was Iman’s protector, consort and prince. I believe their time in Cambridge Road had as one of its aims, in this tranquil setting, to conceive their child, and Alexandra was born shortly after they left Bermuda.

“Today those friends whom David and Iman met here in Bermuda join the world in marking his loss, and celebrating his truly remarkable contribution to the advancement of the human condition through the medium of his voice, his music and his stardom and his mega personality that often bubbled into Bowiemania whilst he lived among us.

“I bid this lovely man farewell and thank him for sharing his genius with the world. To Iman, Lexi, Duncan and the family, our Bermuda family extends our heartfelt condolences.”