David Bowie died on Monday after an 18-month long battle with cancer. Bowie had turned 69 earlier this month. He is survived by two children, Duncan Jones and Alexandria "Lexi" Zahra Jones, and was married to Somali-American model Iman since 1992. Born David Robert Jones, he was a musician and artiste for over four decades and has sold over 140 million records worldwide.

Bowie was also famous for being an innovator, and for his androgynous appearance in the 1970s and 80s. His iconic alter-ego Ziggy Stardust has inspired several other artists as well. Bowie's first major American hit was Fame in 1975, though he had been successful in the United Kingdom since the 1960s. Other hits of his include Diamond Dogs, Space Oddity, 1984, Under Pressure (with Queen), The Man Who Sold The World, and many others.

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The singer’s latest album, Black Star, was released last week to coincide with his birthday. He was to be honoured in a concert at Carnegie Hall by artists including Roots and Cyndi Lauper, The New York Times reported.

Bowie has experimented with several styles of music besides rock, soul, and funk, including blue-eyed soul, industrial, and adult contemporary. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked him 39th on their list of 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. He was 29th on BBC’s list of 100 Greatest Britons. Bowie was also an actor, and had a show, Lazarus, running on Broadway before his death.