British music icon David Bowie has died of cancer at the age of 69, drawing an outpouring of tributes for the innovative star famed for groundbreaking hits like "Ziggy Stardust" and his theatrical shape-shifting style.
A notoriously private person, Bowie's death came as a surprise just days after he had released his 25th studio album "Blackstar" on his 69th birthday on Friday.
"David Bowie died peacefully today (Sunday) surrounded by his family after a courageous 18 month battle with cancer," said a statement posted on his official social media accounts.
Film director Duncan Jones, Bowie's son with his first wife Angie Bowie, confirmed the news on Twitter.
"Very sorry and sad to say it's true. I'll be offline for a while. Love to all," Jones wrote on his official account.
The death brings the curtain down on one of the most acclaimed artists of modern British music, with a career dating back to the hit "Space Oddity" in 1969, about an astronaut called Major Tom, who is abandoned in space ...
