The Charlatans’ singer Tim Burgess said Flowers, who lived in Ditchling, “made the greats sound greater”.
It comes after Flowers’ death was confirmed by close family members on Facebook.
Herbie Flowers often played shows at Brighton Dome
In a post on Twitter, Burgess said: “Farewell Herbie Flowers, he made the greats sound greater.”
Bowie’s estate also paid tribute to the star’s former collaborator, saying: “We are very sad to learn of the passing of Herbie Flowers in the last couple of days.
“His work with Bowie and associates over the years is too long to list here.
“Aside from his incredible musicianship over many decades, he was a beautiful soul and a very funny man. He will be sorely missed.
“Our thoughts are with his family and friends.”
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Suede bass player Mat Osman, also joined in with tributes, adding: “RIP Herbie Flowers. So many great basslines – imagine having played on Space Oddity, Walk On The Wild Side and Rock On.”
Flowers, who was born in Isleworth in 1938, began his career in the 1960s as a session musician playing for producer, including Shel Talmy, Mickie Most and Tony Visconti before becoming a founding member of Blue Mink in 1969, playing on their UK number three single Melting Pot.
By the 1970s, Flowers, real name Brian Keith Flowers, was playing with some of the biggest and most influential artists of the decade such as Bowie, Sir Elton John and Lou Reed.
In 1972, he played on Reed’s pioneering Transformer album, giving the single Walk On The Wild Side its recognisable twinned bassline.
Flowers later revealed in a 2005 interview with the BBC that he had come up with the idea for the bassline as he would be paid double as a session musician for playing two instruments.
Another of Flowers’ most recognisable basslines was on David Essex’s 1973 single Rock On, which was double-tracked and used a slapback effect to give the song its polyrhythmic backbeat.
The Blue Mink pop group. Bass player Herbie Flowers, second right, has died aged 86
He was a member of the final line up of T Rex shortly before Marc Bolan’s death, featuring on the band’s final album, 1977’s Dandy In The Underworld, and Bolan’s Marc TV show.
He played on Bowie’s second album called David Bowie in 1969 and played on 1974’s Diamond Dogs following the break-up of Bowie’s band the Spiders From Mars earlier in the year.
With Sir Elton, he played on 1970s Tumbleweed Connection and Madman Across The Water in 1971.
Flowers also played on French singer Serge Gainsbourg’s influential 1971 concept album, Histoire de Melody Nelson.
In the late 1970s, Flowers founded the instrumental prog rock band Sky, recording and performing with them until 1995 and releasing seven albums.
Other records featuring Flowers include Bryan Ferry’s The Bride Stripped Bare, Paul McCartney’s Give My Regards To Broad Street and Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version Of War Of The Worlds.