David Bowie Has Died; The Rock Legend Was 69 Years Old

Music legend David Bowie has died following an 18-month battle with cancer. His passing comes one week after the release of his most recent album, Blackstar.

He was 69 years of age.

The news was confirmed by a representative to The Hollywood Reporter, with an official statement also posted on his Facebook page.

Bowie’s son, director Duncan Jones, also confirmed his father's tragic passing on Twitter.

Very sorry and sad to say it's true. I'll be offline for a while. Love to all. pic.twitter.com/Kh2fq3tf9m

— Duncan Jones (@ManMadeMoon) January 11, 2016

Born in London in 1947 as David Jones, Bowie went on to release more than two dozen albums and forge one of the most interesting, influential and inspiring careers in music history.

Under a number of guises, he produced countless beguiling and beloved pop and rock songs.

There’s no denying it: the surprise and deeply saddening death of this towering pop culture figure is a boot to the gut. For this writer, the discovery of David Bowie's music as a pre-teen was as formative as any other coming-of-age milestone.

In celebration of the man’s life and music, relive some of his finest moments below. Longtime fans will certainly need these videos to process today's news. For those unfamiliar with Bowie's work, you are about to see and hear some incredible things.

RIP.