Superstar British singer/songwriter David Bowie has died at age 69 after a sustained battle with cancer.
Bowie was active until the end, releasing his final album, Blackstar, on Jan. 8—his birthday.
Born David Robert Jones in London, Bowie was part of the music scene for almost 50 years. He first found success with “Space Oddity” in 1969 and became a global star thanks to his androgynous alter ego Ziggy Stardust.
Among a few of his other hits were “Under Pressure” (with the group Queen), “Let’s Dance,” “Fame,” “Starman,” “Modern Love” and “Miracle Goodnight.”
Bowie was also an actor, having appeared in works such as Labyrinth, The Man Who Fell to Earth and even Zoolander.
Bowie is survived by two children, Duncan Jones and Alexandria “Lexi” Zahra Jones, as well as supermodel wife Iman, whom he married in 1992.
The superstar has been covered numerous times. Last year, Orange Is the New Black actress Lea DeLaria released her fifth jazz vocal album, House of David, which spans a dozen Bowie covers.
On Sept. 23, 2014-Jan. 4, 2015, almost 200,000 people visited the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago to see its “David Bowie Is” exhibition, setting attendance records. It was the only U.S. appearance of the exhibition, which London’s Victoria and Albert Museum organized.