David Bowie’s manager during the early and mid-70’s, Tony Defries, told British magazine Mojo that he had tried to sell American promoters on an arena tour that would have resurrected Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust character -- but there was no interest in it.
Defries claimed that the plan he and Bowie came up with was inspired by Frank Sinatra, who famously retired from touring in 1971, but then re-emerged two years later. Defries all of this was a major factor in Bowie's decision to retire the Ziggy persona, which he had announced from the stage during the final concert of the Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars tour -- at the Hammersmith Odeon in London on July 3rd, 1973.
The Ziggy Stardust character never resurfaced and Bowie moved on to other personas with even bigger success.
[Source: Classic Hits Today]