David Bowie performs on stage on the third and final day of 'The Nokia Isle of Wight Festival 2004' at Seaclose Park, on June 13, 2004 in Newport, UK. GETTY IMAGES/Jo Hale.
David Bowie performs on stage on the third and final day of ‘The Nokia Isle of Wight Festival 2004’ at Seaclose Park, on June 13, 2004 in Newport, UK. GETTY IMAGES/Jo Hale.

(by Mesfin Fekadu/The Associated Press)  David Bowie, the iconic and shape-shifting British singer whose illustrious career lasted five decades with hits like “Fame,” “Heroes” and “Let’s Dance,” died Sunday after a battle with cancer. He was 69.

Representative Steve Martin said early Monday that Bowie died “peacefully” and was surrounded by family. He had battled cancer for 18 months.

 

 

 

“While many of you will share in this loss, we ask that you respect the family’s privacy during their time of grief,” the statement read. No more details were provided.

Bowie turned 69 on Friday, the same day he released a new album called “Blackstar.”

The singer, who was born David Jones in London, came of age in the glam rock era of the early 1970s. He had a striking androgynous look in his early days and was known for changing his looks and sounds. He had launched a provocative alter-ego named Ziggy Stardust, and the stuttering rock sound of “Changes” gave way to the disco soul of “Young Americans,” co-written with John Lennon, to a droning collaboration with Brian Eno in Berlin that produced “Heroes.” He had some of his biggest successes in the early 1980s with the stylist “Let’s Dance,” and a massive American tour. “My entire career, I’ve only really worked with the same subject matter,” Bowie told The Associated Press in a 2002 interview. “The trousers may change, but the actual words and subjects I’ve always chosen to write with are things to do with isolation, abandonment, fear and anxiety – all of the high points of one’s life.” Tributes are pouring in for Bowie on social media from fellow musicians and fans alike.