Rock star David Bowie has died following an 18-month battle with cancer, a posting on his official Facebook page said.
The legendary musician's sudden death was announced via his social media accounts and official webpage and his representatives have confirmed the sad news.
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According to the statement, the singer died yesterday, surrounded by his loved ones.
A tweet posted on his verified Twitter account also linked to the announcement.
It read: "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, film director Duncan Jones tweeted: "Very sorry and sad to say it's true. I'll be offline for a while. Love to all."
Bowie released his latest album, Blackstar, just three days ago, and his ex-wife Angie Bowie is currently a contestant on Celebrity Big Brother.
His agent Steve Martin confirmed the news of the 69-year-old's death.
Paying tribute to the singer on Twitter, comedian and actor Ricky Gervais, who convinced his long-time idol Bowie to star as himself - and ridicule Gervais - in an episode of 2006 sitcom Extras, wrote simply: "I just lost a hero. RIP David Bowie."
David Bowie performs his final concert as Ziggy Stardust at the Hammersmith Odeon, London, July 3, 1973. The concert later became known as the Retirement Gig. Source: Getty Images
Bowie made a surprise comeback in 2013 when he suddenly released a new single on his 66th birthday with an album out just weeks later, his first for 10 years.
The star made a habit of confounding the critics - killing off his most famous creation, Ziggy Stardust, at the height of his fame - and reinventing himself in roles including glam rocker, soul singer and hippie songwriter.
Bowie, born David Jones in postwar Brixton, south London, began his music career in the R&B boom of the early Sixties.
Singer David Bowie performs during his Glass Spider Tour, January 1, 1987 at the Sydney Entertainment Centre.
In 1969 he made his first appearance in the charts with Space Oddity.
A string of albums followed, before 1972's The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars made him an international star.
The 1980s saw him combine his pop career with appearances in films including Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence and Absolute Beginners.
The announcement was met with disbelief online and many people initially believed his accounts had been hacked.
Twitter has exploded with the grief and disbelief from Bowie's legions of fans.
Comments below the announcement on David Bowie's official Facebook page. Source: Facebook
