Cover of David Bowie's album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders from Mars

David Bowie’s landmark album Ziggy Stardust was celebrated with a blue plaque today.

Gary Kemp unveils The Crown Estate's commemorative plaque

Former Spandau Ballet star Gary Kemp - a near lifelong fan of the pioneering musician - unveiled the plaque at the spot where the cover of the 1972 release was shot.

The location, in Heddon Street, just off Regent Street, is now a pedestrianised area brimming with bars and restaurants.

The album - fully titled The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars - helped to establish Bowie as one of the world’s best known rock stars. It featured just one top ten hit, Starman, but established him as a visionary and showcased his changes of image.

Kemp - who became hooked by music after seeing Bowie in his Ziggy guise on Top Of The Pops - described him a “Messianic rock star”.

The cover was shot in January 1972, five months before the release, with Bowie resting his foot on a step outside 23 Heddon Street, which photographer Brian Ward used as a makeshift studio.

Bowie wore a green jumpsuit, later featured in a performance on BBC music show The Old Grey Whistle Test, but hand coloured to appear blue on the sleeve.

Bowie has said of the shoot: “It was cold and it rained and I felt like an actor.”