His son, film director Duncan Jones, released a statement on most of his social media accounts confirming the news that his father had passed away. Duncan summarized all of the emotion with a brief but detailed explanation: “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,” he requested sincerely. He further tweeted: “Very sorry and sad to say it’s true. I’ll be offline for a while. Love to all.” The entire music industry is now lamenting over this great loss. Bowie is known for creating unique and interesting alter egos such as Aladdin Sane, Thin White Duke, and his flamboyant alter ego, Ziggy Stardust. All of his personalities brought new life into the industry, making his mark everywhere he went, and turning naysayers into fans with his brilliant live performances. His works helped revolutionize the postmodern music scene, particularly the genre of pop. Among his most popular songs are Let’s Dance, Space Oddity, Starman, Under Pressure, Modern Love, Heroes, and Life on Mars.

Of course, he wasn’t always this well known. What makes him so amazing is that he had a humble beginning. His father was a nightclub owner, while his mother was a waitress; neither of them knew back then that they were going to take care of a future musical icon. He was born as David Jones in 1947, and only changed his name to David Bowie in 1966 when The Monkees’ Davy Jones rose to fame. When he entered the music industry, there was no stopping him. He entered several bands before he was signed with Mercury Records, which released his album Space Oddity in 1969.

After his breakthrough, his career spanned six decades, and involved a lot of experimentation, innovation, and reinvention. The public got to witness his many transformations, and he engaged them effectively every time. He did struggle to remain in the scene during the 1980s and the 90s, but he continued to do what he did best: pushing boundaries and defying his limitations. Eventually, he got back on the right track and continued to prove his genius. Even his last two albums didn’t fade in quality. The Next Day celebrated all of his previous accomplishments and styles, while Blackstar opened its arms for the future of his musical career. Both albums were hits, and both are ranked among his greatest creations. Now everyone is giving out their sincerest condolences, including the stars that Bowie himself helped shape through inspiration. Madonna tweeted: “Talented. Unique. Genius. Game Changer. The Man who Fell to Earth. Your Spirit Lives on Forever!” Rapper Kanye West shared his sentiments: “David Bowie was one of my most important inspirations, so fearless, so creative, he gave us magic for a lifetime.” It seems that everyone in Hollywood, and everyone who has ever heard one of David Bowie’s songs has lost a hero.