Born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, his publicist says he "passed away peacefully at home," at the age of 53.
He is the latest of many high-profile figures to leave us this year, from larger-than-life musicians to sporting legends.
The year had barely begun when on January the 10th, music legend David Bowie died from liver cancer in his New York City apartment.
He had just released his newest album, Blackstar, to rave reviews.
The so-called Starman is credited with bringing a new dimension to popular music and was a pioneer of the glam-rock genre.
Another musical icon that passed away this year was Prince.
Painkillers were found at his house following his death and an autopsy later revealed he died of an accidental fentanyl overdose.
His friend, Aretha Franklin, told ITV News the singer was larger than life.
"There truly was only one Prince, a very very unique musical individual who was so into his music. He was music to the max."
In the sporting world, Muhammad Ali died at the age of 74, following a short battle with a respiratory illness.
Regarded as the greatest professional boxer in the history of the sport, he had been suffering from Parkinson's disease for more than three decades.
He was known globally for his career in the ring but also for his civil rights activism.
Mourners wept on the streets in Thailand after King Bhumibol Adulyadej passed away at the age of 88.
An extended period of mourning commenced for the monarch who ruled the country for 70 years.
The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon offered his condolences to the Thai people.
"His majesty King Bhumibol was revered by the people of Thailand as a unifying national leader. He was also highly respected internationally. At this time of sorrow and loss I hope that Thailand will continue to honour King Bhumibol's legacy of commitment to universal values and respect for human rights."
Reactions were mixed to news of the death of Cuba's controversial former leader, Fidel Castro.
Some remembered him as a revolutionary hero and others cautioned against praising someone they view as a dictator.
Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott didn't hold back when sharing his opinion on Sky News.
"Castro was a brutal dictator: he killed thousands of people, he reduced thousands of people to abject poverty and, frankly, his legacy is a bad one."
The ninth President of Israel, Shimon Peres, died in September.
Widely regarded as a giant of Israeli politics, he served twice as prime minister, once as president and also won a Nobel Peace prize.
Chemi Peres announced his father's death.
"He was one of the founding fathers of the state of Israel and served our people before we even had a country of our own. He worked tirelessly for Israel from the very first day of the state until the last day of his life."
In the arts world, literary talent Harper Lee passed away at the age of 89.
Her first novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, sold more than 40 million copies in her lifetime.
American film and theatre actor, Gene Wilder died in August.
Famous for his role in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, he also starred in classic films like The Producers and Young Frankenstein.
English actor Alan Rickman, known for playing a variety of roles including Severus Snape in the Harry Potter series, died after a short battle with cancer.
He was 69.
We also lost songwriter and singer Leonard Cohen.
The Canadian performer explored religion and politics in his lyrics and poems.
He was 82.
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