In 1962, aged 14, he got punched in the eye by his friend George Underwood, during an argument. George's fingernail or ring caught David's eye and dislodged something. David was admitted to the hospital, where it was found that the sphincter muscles of his left eye were badly torn and he underwent two eye operations. He has an enlarged pupil that remains permanently open, giving them an unusual appearance. The enlarged pupil only gives the effect of two different colored eyes.

David and George are to this day still life-long friends. George played in early Bowie groups and eventually became a commercial artist. He was involved in the design of the album sleeves for Hunky Dory (1971), The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars (1972) albums/posters/flyers, graphics for The 1980 Floor Show and The Man Who Fell To Earth book cover.