Renowned Singer David Bowie Dies at 69 After Battling Cancer for 18 Months
Legendary singer David Bowie died at 69 following a long secret battle with cancer. Bowie passed away on Sunday after struggling with his health condition for close to 18 months, his publicist Steve Martin told CNN.
"David Bowie died peacefully today surrounded by his family," a post on the singer's official Facebook page read.
However, the publicist declined to comment further on what type of cancer the singer had.
Bowie became popular for his hit songs such as "Fame,'' "Heroes" and "Let's Dance.'' He was recognized for his fierce looks and eccentric fashion aesthetics.
He is remembered as a mentor who "taught generations of musicians about the power of images, dramas and persona in music," read a statement in The New York Times.
Just before his death, Bowie released his last music video on Thursday for a song titled "Lazarus." The video seemed to provide a haunting image of what came to happen on Sunday, USA Today noted. The video shows Bowie lying in a hospital, his eyes bandaged and then the lyrics begin with the line "Look up, I'm in heaven."
The Korea Herald reported that Bowie also released a new album known as "Blackstar" on Friday, the same day he celebrated his 69th birthday.
Born as David Jones in London, the Bowie became the star of the glam rock era back in 1970s. His career took a huge turn in the early 1980s when he released "Let's Dance,'' after which he held a massively successful American tour.
One of Bowie's most memorable hits is "Under Pressure," which he recorded with Queen and Vanilla Ice.
"My entire career, I've only really worked with the same subject matter,'' Bowie told The Associated Press in a 2002 interview."The trousers may change, but the actual words and subjects I've always chosen to write with are things to do with isolation, abandonment, fear and anxiety - all of the high points of one's life.''
In 1996, Bowie was inaugurated into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Reports say Bowie was relatively quiet between 2004 and 2012. He re-emerged in 2013 with the album "The Next Day," which peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 chart. In December 2015, Bowie opened the rock musical "Lazarus" in New York City. In the show, Bowie revisited the character he played in "The Man Who Fell to Earth."
Fellow musicians and other prominent personalities around the world paid their tributes to the late music icon. Tim Peake, a British astronaut, tweeted, "His music was an inspiration to many.''
British Prime Minister David Cameron described Bowie as a "master of reinvention'' and a pop genius. Cameron also wrote on Twitter that Bowie's death was "a huge loss.''
Meanwhile, singer Kanye West said Bowie was one of his "most important inspirations, so fearless, so creative, he gave us magic for a lifetime.''
Bowie has left behind his wife, Iman, whom he married in 1992, and their two children director Duncan Jones and Alexandria.
