LONDON, Aug. 16 -- A historic bandstand in south London where legendary British singer David Bowie performed at a famous summer festival was given official protection Friday on the 50th anniversary of the music event.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has listed the old bandstand as a protected heritage site on the advice of its Historic England department. Its official Grade 2 status will ensure that the old bandstand's survival for future generations.

It has been suggested that Bowie may have penned the lyrics to one of his global hits, Life on Mars, from the steps of the bandstand, now known locally as the Bowie Bandstand.

Bowie was one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, with a career spanning nearly 50 years.

After his first hit single, Space Oddity, Bowie and his friends organized the iconic Growth Summer Festival in August 1969, aiming to raise money for a permanent base for an arts project he ran with friends.

The one-day festival was free, emulating the style of the famous 1969 American Woodstock festival.

"The bandstand was the centerpiece of the day and the stage from which the young Bowie performed to an audience of a few hundred people. Thought to be the first of its kind in Britain, the festival inspired Bowie to write Memory of a Free Festival, a seven minute song for his second album released later that same year, in homage to the day," a DCMS spokeswoman said.

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