David Bowie, music legend and fashion icon, is dead at 69

(Image credit: Jo Hale/Getty Images)

last updated 11 January 2016

Legendary singer-songwriter David Bowie died Sunday following a battle with cancer, his representative confirmed. He was 69.

A statement on his official social media accounts reads: "David Bowie died peacefully today surrounded by his family after a courageous 18-month battle with cancer. While many of you will share in this loss, we ask that you respect the family's privacy during their time of grief." His son, Duncan Jones, also tweeted: "Very sorry and sad to say it's true. I'll be offline for a while. Love to all."

Bowie was born David Jones in London on Jan. 8, 1947. He changed his name in 1966 once (the other) Davy Jones gained fame as part of The Monkees, The Hollywood Reporter says. Over a 40-year career, Bowie was known for songs like "Let's Dance," "Space Oddity," "Heroes," "Changes," "China Girl," "Modern Love," "Fashion," and "Fame," as well as several movies, including Labyrinth; The Hunger; Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence; and The Last Temptation of Christ. His final album, Blackstar, was released last week to coincide with his 69th birthday. Catherine Garcia

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

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