![Herjione Farthingale, the "girl with the mousy hair," speaks of soulmate David Bowie. [Image Hermione/Flickr]](https://staticr1.blastingcdn.com/media/photogallery/2019/2/2/660x290/b_502x220x82/herjione-farthingale-the-girl-with-the-mousy-hair-speaks-of-soulmate-david-bowie-image-hermioneflickr_2197141.jpg "Herjione Farthingale, the \"girl with the mousy hair,\" speaks of soulmate David Bowie. [Image Hermione/Flickr]")
There was recently a preview screening of the upcoming BBC 2 documentary, “David Bowie: Finding Fame.” Hermione Farthingale was at the event and Bowie’s former girlfriend spoke of her love for her “soul mate.” It was she that inspired the iconic performer to write the classic 1971 song “Life on Mars,” which features “the girl with the mousy hair” in the lyrics.
However, as reported by the Express, their relationship was not to be, and after a year together, the former ballet dancer and actor left Bowie to work on the Film “Song Of Norway.” In December 1968, Bowie went on to write a heartbreaking tribute to his former soulmate, “I'm Not Quite" or “Letter To Hermione.”
Speaking at the screening of the BBC 2 documentary, Farthingale, now in her 60s, explained that three weeks after he released the tribute to her in 1969, Bowie went on to marry Angie Barnett.
She said you can see that it wasn’t a letter with a stamp on it that required an answer.
Some had said their relationship was one-sided, but she denied this, saying they missed each other as soulmates or family, or whatever makes people be “incredibly close” to each other. Besides "Life on Mars," Hermione was also credited for inspiring Bowie to write a number of other songs, including the track “An Occasional Dream.”
‘Artist’s muse’ speaks
The Guardian notes that it is rare to get the chance for an artist’s muse to speak out, saying it would be nice if it happened more often. From the interview, it was clear the couple fell in love in 1968 and formed their own band, Feathers, with John Hutchinson.
David Bowie's band, Feathers, with Hermione Farthingale and John Hutchinson, 1968 by Clive Arrowsmith pic.twitter.com/KJlt9uMND8
— Brian Eno (@dark_shark) February 2, 2019
Hermione admits that she broke David Bowie’s heart. In the new documentary, Bowie can be heard saying he didn’t get over that for a long time, as it really broke him up.
Reportedly Bowie still carried a torch for Hermione up until at least 2013. The documentary shows him wearing a “Song of Norway” t-shirt. Farthingale also still thinks fondly of David, telling the interviewers that they were soulmates.
Hermione Farthingale, said to be the inspiration behind “the girl with the mousy hair” in 1971 hit Life On Mars, was also the singer’s lover. The pair formed a band called Feathers with friend and guitarist John Hutchinson, mixing music, poetry & mime • David Bowie: Finding Fame pic.twitter.com/1XrzEAewKx
— Corinne ST-D (@Co_SwEuphoria) February 1, 2019
While Bowie married Angela, Hermione went on to marry an anthropologist and the couple moved to Papua New Guinea.
She is back in the UK now and teaches Pilates and yoga in Bristol. Born David Robert Jones, Bowie was married to Angela until 1980 and then went on to marry his last wife, the model Iman, in 1992.
David had two children, filmmaker Duncan Jones and a daughter, Alexandria Zahra Jones. He passed away from cancer at the age of 69 on 10 January 2016. Bowie’s ashes were scattered in Bali.
