David Bowie, a master of music and makeovers, dies at 69

By Saeed Ahmed, Todd Leopold and Joe Sutton, CNN
Updated 12:46 PM EDT, Fri September 8, 2017

Story highlights

David Bowie's publicist did not elaborate on the kind of cancer

Bowie was without parallel in his showmanship

(CNN) —  

The family of iconic singer David Bowie expressed appreciation for the outpouring of love after his death, and plans to honor him at a private ceremony.

Bowie died Sunday after an 18-month battle with cancer, his publicist Steve Martin told CNN.

“David Bowie died peacefully today surrounded by his family after a courageous 18 month battle with cancer,” said a statement posted on his official social media accounts. “While many of you will share in this loss, we ask that you respect the family’s privacy during their time of grief.”

Neither his publicist nor the statement elaborated on what type of cancer the singer had.

Bowie’s death has been the regular subject of Internet hoaxes for the last several years. So the news came as a shock to fans and industry insiders when it was confirmed.

David Bowie and the soundtrack of our lives

“Very sorry and sad to say it’s true. I’ll be offline for a while. Love to all,” his son, “Moon” film director Duncan Jones, tweeted.

Marriage of music and fashion

From a mop-topped unknown named David Jones, to his space-alien alter ego “Ziggy Stardust,” to his dapper departure as the soul-influenced Thin White Duke, Bowie married music and fashion in a way few artists have been able to master.

He was theatrical, he was flamboyant, he was without parallel in his showmanship.

His albums, especially after his 1972 breakthrough “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars,” were treated as events. His songs, including “Changes,” “Fame,” “Heroes” and “Modern Love,” were anthemic hits, played constantly on the radio and inspiring generations of musicians.

With a voice that soared from a baritone to a falsetto, he spoke of carrying on against the odds. Of the terror in knowing what the world is about. Of turning and facing the strange.

His songs were a salve for the alienated and the misfits of the world.

Photos: People we lost in 2016
Debbie Reynolds, one of Hollywood
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Debbie Reynolds, one of Hollywood's biggest stars in the 1950s and 1960s, died December 28, one day after her daughter, actress Carrie Fisher, passed away. She was 84.
PHOTO: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images
Actress Carrie Fisher, best known for her role as Princess Leia in the "Star Wars" franchises, died December 27, according to her daughter
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Actress Carrie Fisher, best known for her role as Princess Leia in the "Star Wars" franchises, died December 27, according to her daughter's publicist. Fisher had suffered a cardiac event on December 23. She was 60 years old.
PHOTO: Sunset Boulevard/Corbis/Getty Images
Actor and comedian Ricky Harris, who was a regular on the TV sitcom "Everybody Hates Chris" and first gained attention on HBO
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Actor and comedian Ricky Harris, who was a regular on the TV sitcom "Everybody Hates Chris" and first gained attention on HBO's "Def Comedy Jam," died December 26, according to his publicist. He was 54.
PHOTO: Jerod Harris/Getty Images
Singer George Michael, who shot to fame with the
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Singer George Michael, who shot to fame with the '80s band Wham!, died on Christmas Day, according to Britain's Press Association. He was 53 years old.
PHOTO: Michael Putland/Getty Images
English novelist Richard Adams, author of the famous children
Photos: People we lost in 2016
English novelist Richard Adams, author of the famous children's book "Watership Down," died at the age of 96 on December 24.
PHOTO: Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Zsa Zsa Gabor, the Hungarian beauty whose many marriages, gossipy adventures and occasional legal scuffles kept her in tabloid headlines for decades, died December 18, said her former longtime publicist Ed Lozzi. She was 99.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Zsa Zsa Gabor, the Hungarian beauty whose many marriages, gossipy adventures and occasional legal scuffles kept her in tabloid headlines for decades, died December 18, said her former longtime publicist Ed Lozzi. She was 99.
PHOTO: FPG/Archive Photos/Getty Images
Craig Sager, the longtime Turner Sports sideline reporter best known for his colorful -- and at times fluorescent -- wardrobe, died December 15 after battling acute myeloid leukemia, the network said. He was 65.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Craig Sager, the longtime Turner Sports sideline reporter best known for his colorful -- and at times fluorescent -- wardrobe, died December 15 after battling acute myeloid leukemia, the network said. He was 65.
PHOTO: Noah Graham/NBAE/NBAE/Getty Images
Actor Alan Thicke, known for his role as the father in the sitcom "Growing Pains," died on December 13, according to his agent, Tracy Mapes. He was 69. Thicke
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Actor Alan Thicke, known for his role as the father in the sitcom "Growing Pains," died on December 13, according to his agent, Tracy Mapes. He was 69. Thicke's career spanned five decades -- one in which he played various roles on and off screen, from actor to writer to composer to author.
PHOTO: ABC Photo Archives/Disney/Getty Images
John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth, died December 8, according to the Ohio State University. He was 95.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth, died December 8, according to the Ohio State University. He was 95.
PHOTO: NASA
Joseph Mascolo, the actor who portrayed archvillain Stefano DiMera in the NBC soap opera "Days of Our Lives," died December 7 after a battle with Alzheimer
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Joseph Mascolo, the actor who portrayed archvillain Stefano DiMera in the NBC soap opera "Days of Our Lives," died December 7 after a battle with Alzheimer's disease, the network said. He was 87.
PHOTO: NBC
Greg Lake, a founding member of influential progressive rock group Emerson, Lake & Palmer, died December 7 after a bout with cancer, his manager said. He
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Greg Lake, a founding member of influential progressive rock group Emerson, Lake & Palmer, died December 7 after a bout with cancer, his manager said. He's seen here at left with bandmates Keith Emerson, center, and Carl Palmer in 1972.
PHOTO: AP
Actor Ron Glass, known for his role on the police sitcom "Barney Miller," died November 25, his agent said. Glass also starred in "Firefly" and its film sequel "Serenity."
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Actor Ron Glass, known for his role on the police sitcom "Barney Miller," died November 25, his agent said. Glass also starred in "Firefly" and its film sequel "Serenity."
PHOTO: Jason Merritt/FilmMagic/Getty Images
Florence Henderson, whose "Brady Bunch" character Carol Brady was one of television
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Florence Henderson, whose "Brady Bunch" character Carol Brady was one of television's most famous mothers, died November 24 at the age of 82, her manager, Kayla Pressman, said.
PHOTO: ANGELA WEISS/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
Sharon Jones, the powerful lead singer of the Dap-Kings, died November 18 after a battle with pancreatic cancer, manager Alex Kadvan told CNN. She was 60.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Sharon Jones, the powerful lead singer of the Dap-Kings, died November 18 after a battle with pancreatic cancer, manager Alex Kadvan told CNN. She was 60.
PHOTO: Theo Wargo/Getty Images
Gwen Ifill, the veteran journalist and newscaster who co-anchored "PBS NewsHour," died after a battle with endometrial cancer, according to PBS on November 14. She was 61.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Gwen Ifill, the veteran journalist and newscaster who co-anchored "PBS NewsHour," died after a battle with endometrial cancer, according to PBS on November 14. She was 61.
PHOTO: Don Emmert/Getty Images
Leon Russell, who emerged as a rock
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Leon Russell, who emerged as a rock 'n' roll star in the 1970s after working behind the scenes as a session pianist for other musicians, died November 13, his wife told CNN. He was 74.
PHOTO: Robert Knight Archive/Redferns/Getty Images
Robert Vaughn, who played a slick spy on TV
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Robert Vaughn, who played a slick spy on TV's "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.", died November 11, his manager, Matthew Sullivan, told CNN. Vaughn was 83.
PHOTO: NBC/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images
Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen died at the age of 82, according to a post on his official Facebook page on November 10. A highly respected artist known for his poetic and lyrical music, Cohen wrote a number of popular songs, including the often-covered "Hallelujah."
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen died at the age of 82, according to a post on his official Facebook page on November 10. A highly respected artist known for his poetic and lyrical music, Cohen wrote a number of popular songs, including the often-covered "Hallelujah."
PHOTO: Jemal Countess/Getty Images North
Janet Reno, the first female US attorney general, died November 7 following a long battle with Parkinson
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Janet Reno, the first female US attorney general, died November 7 following a long battle with Parkinson's disease, her sister Maggy Hurchalla said. Reno, 78, served in the Clinton White House from 1993 to 2001.
PHOTO: Barry Thumma/AP
Tom Hayden, a peace activist whose radical views helped spur the anti-Vietnam War movement, died October 23. He was 76.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Tom Hayden, a peace activist whose radical views helped spur the anti-Vietnam War movement, died October 23. He was 76.
PHOTO: George Rose/Getty Images
Actor and comedian Kevin Meaney, who had been a regular on late-night TV and was famous for delivering the line, "That
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Actor and comedian Kevin Meaney, who had been a regular on late-night TV and was famous for delivering the line, "That's not right," died, his agent said October 21. Meaney's age and the cause of death weren't immediately known.
PHOTO: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images North America/Getty Images
Phil Chess, the co-founder of the iconic rock-and-roll and blues label Chess Records, died October 18, according to his son. He was 95. Phil and his brother Leonard founded Chess Records in the late 1940s and helped spawn the careers of many popular musicians in the 1950s.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Phil Chess, the co-founder of the iconic rock-and-roll and blues label Chess Records, died October 18, according to his son. He was 95. Phil and his brother Leonard founded Chess Records in the late 1940s and helped spawn the careers of many popular musicians in the 1950s.
PHOTO: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Dylan Rieder, a professional skateboarder and model, died on October 12 due to complications from leukemia, according to his father. He was 28.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Dylan Rieder, a professional skateboarder and model, died on October 12 due to complications from leukemia, according to his father. He was 28.
PHOTO: Ray Tamarra/Getty Images
Actor Tommy Ford, best known for his role as Tommy in the 1990s hit sitcom "Martin," died in Atlanta, a spokeswoman for his family announced on October 12. Ford was 52.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Actor Tommy Ford, best known for his role as Tommy in the 1990s hit sitcom "Martin," died in Atlanta, a spokeswoman for his family announced on October 12. Ford was 52.
PHOTO: Thaddaeus McAdams/Getty Images
Award-winning author Gloria Naylor, whose explorations of the lives of black women in the 1980s and 1990s earned her wide acclaim, died on September 28. She was 66.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Award-winning author Gloria Naylor, whose explorations of the lives of black women in the 1980s and 1990s earned her wide acclaim, died on September 28. She was 66.
PHOTO: Tom Keller/AP
Golfing legend Arnold Palmer, who helped turn the sport from a country club pursuit to one that became accessible to the masses, died September 25 at the age of 87, according to the U.S. Golf Association.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Golfing legend Arnold Palmer, who helped turn the sport from a country club pursuit to one that became accessible to the masses, died September 25 at the age of 87, according to the U.S. Golf Association.
PHOTO: Transcendental Graphics/Archive Photos/Getty Images
Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez, one of baseball
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez, one of baseball's brightest stars, was killed in a boating accident September 25, Florida authorities said. He was 24.
PHOTO: Marc Serota/Getty Images
Veteran actor Bill Nunn, best known for playing Radio Raheem in "Do the Right Thing" and Robbie Robertson in the "Spider-Man" trilogy, died September 24 at age 63.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Veteran actor Bill Nunn, best known for playing Radio Raheem in "Do the Right Thing" and Robbie Robertson in the "Spider-Man" trilogy, died September 24 at age 63.
PHOTO: Everett Collection
Grammy and Emmy Award winner Stanley Dural Jr., also known as Buckwheat Zydeco, died September 24 in Lafayette, Louisiana. He was 68.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Grammy and Emmy Award winner Stanley Dural Jr., also known as Buckwheat Zydeco, died September 24 in Lafayette, Louisiana. He was 68.
PHOTO: Rick Diamond/Getty Images North America
"L.A. Confidential" director and writer Curtis Hanson, 71, died of natural causes on September 20, Los Angeles police said. He won an Oscar with Brian Helgeland for the screenplay on "L.A. Confidential," and he also directed "8 Mile" and "Wonder Boys."
Photos: People we lost in 2016
"L.A. Confidential" director and writer Curtis Hanson, 71, died of natural causes on September 20, Los Angeles police said. He won an Oscar with Brian Helgeland for the screenplay on "L.A. Confidential," and he also directed "8 Mile" and "Wonder Boys."
PHOTO: Universal/Everett Collection
Charmian Carr, best known for her role as Liesl in "The Sound of Music," died September 17 at the age of 73, according to her family. Carr died of complications from a rare form of dementia.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Charmian Carr, best known for her role as Liesl in "The Sound of Music," died September 17 at the age of 73, according to her family. Carr died of complications from a rare form of dementia.
PHOTO: Valerie Macon/Getty Images
W.P. Kinsella, the author of "Shoeless Joe," the award-winning novel that became the film "Field of Dreams," died at 81 on September 16.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
W.P. Kinsella, the author of "Shoeless Joe," the award-winning novel that became the film "Field of Dreams," died at 81 on September 16.
PHOTO: RUSTY KENNEDY/AP
Legendary playwright Edward Albee -- whose works included "Who
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Legendary playwright Edward Albee -- whose works included "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" -- died at the age of 88 after a short illness, according to his personal assistant Jakob Holder. Albee died September 16 at his home in Montauk, New York.
PHOTO: Henry S. Dziekan III/Getty Images
Actress and transgender rights activist Alexis Arquette died September 11. She was 47.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Actress and transgender rights activist Alexis Arquette died September 11. She was 47.
PHOTO: John Shearer/WireImage/Getty Images
The Lady Chablis, the unabashed Savannah, Georgia, transgender queen who became a gay icon after finding fame in the 1990s through the "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" book and movie, died September 8. She was 59.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
The Lady Chablis, the unabashed Savannah, Georgia, transgender queen who became a gay icon after finding fame in the 1990s through the "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" book and movie, died September 8. She was 59.
PHOTO: Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImage/Getty Images
Actor Hugh O
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Actor Hugh O'Brian, best known for his portrayal of the title role in the 1950's TV Western "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp," died on September 5. He was 91.
PHOTO: Earl Leaf/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Character actor Jon Polito, who appeared in films such as "American Gangster" and "The Big Lebowski," died September 2, his manager confirmed. He was 65.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Character actor Jon Polito, who appeared in films such as "American Gangster" and "The Big Lebowski," died September 2, his manager confirmed. He was 65.
PHOTO: Universal/Everett Collection
Fred Hellerman, a singer and composer who was the last surviving member of the iconic and influential folk music quartet the Weavers, died September 1 at the age of 89. He is on the right along with the other members of his quartet.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Fred Hellerman, a singer and composer who was the last surviving member of the iconic and influential folk music quartet the Weavers, died September 1 at the age of 89. He is on the right along with the other members of his quartet.
PHOTO: Richard Drew/AP
Actor Gene Wilder, who brought a wild-eyed desperation to a series of memorable and iconic comedy roles in the 1970s and 1980s, died August 29 at the age of 83. Some of his most famous films include "Young Frankenstein," "Blazing Saddles" and "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory."
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Actor Gene Wilder, who brought a wild-eyed desperation to a series of memorable and iconic comedy roles in the 1970s and 1980s, died August 29 at the age of 83. Some of his most famous films include "Young Frankenstein," "Blazing Saddles" and "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory."
PHOTO: From Warner Bros.
Mexican music icon Juan Gabriel, who wooed audiences with soulful pop ballads that made him a Latin American music legend, died August 28 at the age of 66.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Mexican music icon Juan Gabriel, who wooed audiences with soulful pop ballads that made him a Latin American music legend, died August 28 at the age of 66.
PHOTO: Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Actor Steven Hill, best known for playing District Attorney Adam Schiff on NBC
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Actor Steven Hill, best known for playing District Attorney Adam Schiff on NBC's "Law & Order," died August 23, his son confirmed to CNN. He was 94.
PHOTO: From NBCUniversal
Matt Roberts, former guitarist of the band 3 Doors Down, died August 21, his father said. Roberts, seen here at center, was 38. A cause of death was not immediately known.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Matt Roberts, former guitarist of the band 3 Doors Down, died August 21, his father said. Roberts, seen here at center, was 38. A cause of death was not immediately known.
PHOTO: Ben Gabbe/Getty Images
British actor Kenny Baker, best known for playing R2-D2 in the "Star Wars" films, died on August 13, Baker
Photos: People we lost in 2016
British actor Kenny Baker, best known for playing R2-D2 in the "Star Wars" films, died on August 13, Baker's niece, Abigail Shield, told CNN. He was 81.
PHOTO: Alamy Stock Photo
Famous New Orleans jazz clarinetist Pete Fountain died August 6 of heart failure. He was 86.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Famous New Orleans jazz clarinetist Pete Fountain died August 6 of heart failure. He was 86.
PHOTO: Michael Ochs Archives/GETTY IMAGES
Actor David Huddleston, perhaps best known for his role in the 1998 film "The Big Lebowski," died August 2 at the age of 85.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Actor David Huddleston, perhaps best known for his role in the 1998 film "The Big Lebowski," died August 2 at the age of 85.
PHOTO: from nbc universal
Youree Dell Harris, better known as "Miss Cleo," the pitchwoman for the Psychic Readers Network, died July 26 of cancer, according to an attorney for her family. She was 53.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Youree Dell Harris, better known as "Miss Cleo," the pitchwoman for the Psychic Readers Network, died July 26 of cancer, according to an attorney for her family. She was 53.
PHOTO: Miami Herald/Tribune News Service/MCT/Getty Images
Timothy LaHaye, the evangelical minister and co-author of the "Left Behind" book series, died July 26 following a massive stroke. He was 90 years old. Here, he is seen at left with co-author Jerry B. Jenkins in 2004.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Timothy LaHaye, the evangelical minister and co-author of the "Left Behind" book series, died July 26 following a massive stroke. He was 90 years old. Here, he is seen at left with co-author Jerry B. Jenkins in 2004.
PHOTO: Mario Villafuerte/Getty Images
Garry Marshall, who created popular TV shows such as "Mork and Mindy" and "Happy Days" and directed hit films such as "Pretty Woman" and "The Princess Diaries," died July 19 at the age of 81, his publicist said.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Garry Marshall, who created popular TV shows such as "Mork and Mindy" and "Happy Days" and directed hit films such as "Pretty Woman" and "The Princess Diaries," died July 19 at the age of 81, his publicist said.
PHOTO: From Universal Pictures
Actress Noel Neill, who played Lois Lane in the 1950s TV version of "Superman," died July 3 at the age of 95.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Actress Noel Neill, who played Lois Lane in the 1950s TV version of "Superman," died July 3 at the age of 95.
PHOTO: ABC Photo Archives/ABC/Getty Images
Director Michael Cimino, whose searing 1978 Vietnam War drama "The Deer Hunter" won five Oscars, including best picture, died July 2. He was 77.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Director Michael Cimino, whose searing 1978 Vietnam War drama "The Deer Hunter" won five Oscars, including best picture, died July 2. He was 77.
PHOTO: Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images
Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel died at the age of 87 on July 2. Wiesel
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel died at the age of 87 on July 2. Wiesel's book "La Nuit" is the story of the Wiesel family being sent to Nazi concentration camps.
PHOTO: Bill Clark/AP
Scotty Moore, a legendary guitarist credited with helping to launch Elvis Presley
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Scotty Moore, a legendary guitarist credited with helping to launch Elvis Presley's career, died at the age of 84 on June 28. Moore is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and he was ranked No. 29 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 greatest guitarists.
PHOTO: Mike Brown/Getty Images
Pat Summitt, who built the University of Tennessee
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Pat Summitt, who built the University of Tennessee's Lady Volunteers into a perennial power on the way to becoming the winningest coach in the history of major college basketball, died June 28 at the age of 64. Her death came five years after she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.
PHOTO: PAT SULLIVAN/AP
Bill Cunningham, one of the most recognizable figures at The New York Times and in all of New York, died June 25 at the age of 87. Cunningham was a street-life photographer; a cultural anthropologist; a fixture at fashion events; and a celebrity in spite of his desire to keep the camera focused on others, not himself.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Bill Cunningham, one of the most recognizable figures at The New York Times and in all of New York, died June 25 at the age of 87. Cunningham was a street-life photographer; a cultural anthropologist; a fixture at fashion events; and a celebrity in spite of his desire to keep the camera focused on others, not himself.
PHOTO: Donald Traill/AP
Bluegrass music pioneer Ralph Stanley died June 23 at the age of 89, publicist Kirt Webster announced on Stanley
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Bluegrass music pioneer Ralph Stanley died June 23 at the age of 89, publicist Kirt Webster announced on Stanley's official website. Stanley was already famous in bluegrass and roots music circles when the 2000 hit movie "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" thrust him into the mainstream. He provided a haunting a cappella version of the dirge "O Death" and ended up winning a Grammy.
PHOTO: Getty Images
Anton Yelchin, who played Pavel Chekov in the most recent "Star Trek" movies, died June 19 after a freak car accident outside his home, police said. He was 27.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Anton Yelchin, who played Pavel Chekov in the most recent "Star Trek" movies, died June 19 after a freak car accident outside his home, police said. He was 27.
PHOTO: Paramount PIctures
Actor Ron Lester, who portrayed Billy Bob in the 1999 football movie "Varsity Blues," died June 17 at the age of 45, according to his representative Dave Bradley. Bradley said Lester died of organ failure -- specifically his liver and his kidneys. Lester had openly talked about his struggle with his illness on Twitter.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Actor Ron Lester, who portrayed Billy Bob in the 1999 football movie "Varsity Blues," died June 17 at the age of 45, according to his representative Dave Bradley. Bradley said Lester died of organ failure -- specifically his liver and his kidneys. Lester had openly talked about his struggle with his illness on Twitter.
PHOTO: Lee Celano/WireImage/Getty Images
Singer Attrell Cordes, known as Prince Be of the music duo P.M. Dawn, died June 17 after suffering from diabetes and renal kidney disease, according to a statement from the group. He was 46.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Singer Attrell Cordes, known as Prince Be of the music duo P.M. Dawn, died June 17 after suffering from diabetes and renal kidney disease, according to a statement from the group. He was 46.
PHOTO: NBC/Getty Images
Michu Meszaros, the actor who played "Alf" in the popular
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Michu Meszaros, the actor who played "Alf" in the popular '80s sitcom, died June 12, according to his longtime friend and manager Dennis Varga. Meszaros was 77.
PHOTO: imdb
Singer Christina Grimmie died June 11 from gunshot wounds. The 22-year-old singer, who finished third on season 6 of "The Voice" on NBC, was shot while signing autographs after a concert in Orlando.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Singer Christina Grimmie died June 11 from gunshot wounds. The 22-year-old singer, who finished third on season 6 of "The Voice" on NBC, was shot while signing autographs after a concert in Orlando.
PHOTO: Vivien Killilea/Getty Images North America/Getty Images for iHeartMedia
Hockey legend Gordie Howe, left, scored 801 goals in his NHL career and won four Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings. Howe, also known as "Mr. Hockey," died June 10 at the age of 88, his son Marty said.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Hockey legend Gordie Howe, left, scored 801 goals in his NHL career and won four Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings. Howe, also known as "Mr. Hockey," died June 10 at the age of 88, his son Marty said.
PHOTO: Charles Hoff/NY Daily News/Getty Images
Mixed martial arts fighter Kimbo Slice died June 6 at the age of 42. Slice, whose real name was Kevin Ferguson, initially gained fame from online videos that showed him engaging in backyard bare-knuckle fights. He then became a professional fighter with a natural charisma that endeared him to fans.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Mixed martial arts fighter Kimbo Slice died June 6 at the age of 42. Slice, whose real name was Kevin Ferguson, initially gained fame from online videos that showed him engaging in backyard bare-knuckle fights. He then became a professional fighter with a natural charisma that endeared him to fans.
PHOTO: Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images North America/Getty Images
Muhammad Ali, the three-time heavyweight boxing champion who called himself "The Greatest," died June 3 at the age of 74. Fans on every continent adored him, and at one point he was the probably the most recognizable man on the planet.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Muhammad Ali, the three-time heavyweight boxing champion who called himself "The Greatest," died June 3 at the age of 74. Fans on every continent adored him, and at one point he was the probably the most recognizable man on the planet.
PHOTO: AFP/Getty Images
Drummer Nick Menza, who played on many of Megadeth
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Drummer Nick Menza, who played on many of Megadeth's most successful albums, died after collapsing on stage during a show with his current band, Ohm, on May 21. He was 51.
PHOTO: Gabriel Olsen/FilmMagic/Getty Images
Actor Alan Young, known for his role as Wilbur Post in the television show "Mr. Ed," died on May 19. He was 96.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Actor Alan Young, known for his role as Wilbur Post in the television show "Mr. Ed," died on May 19. He was 96.
PHOTO: Hulton Archive/Archive Photos/Getty Images
CBS News legend Morley Safer, whose work on "60 Minutes" embodied the show
Photos: People we lost in 2016
CBS News legend Morley Safer, whose work on "60 Minutes" embodied the show's 50 years on air, died at the age of 84, according to CBS on May 19.
PHOTO: Carl Mydans/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images
Grammy-winning songwriter Guy Clark died May 17 at the age of 74. The Texas native died after a long illness, according to a statement from his publicist.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Grammy-winning songwriter Guy Clark died May 17 at the age of 74. The Texas native died after a long illness, according to a statement from his publicist.
PHOTO: Frans Schellekens/Redferns/Getty Images
William Schallert, a familiar face in television and film thanks to roles on "The Patty Duke Show," "Star Trek" and many more, died May 8 at age 93, his son said.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
William Schallert, a familiar face in television and film thanks to roles on "The Patty Duke Show," "Star Trek" and many more, died May 8 at age 93, his son said.
PHOTO: ABC/Getty Images
Madeleine LeBeau, known for her role in "Casablanca," died May 1 after breaking her thigh bone, her stepson Carlo Alberto Pinelli told CNN. The actress, who played the jilted girlfriend of Rick (Humphrey Bogart) in the movie, was 92.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Madeleine LeBeau, known for her role in "Casablanca," died May 1 after breaking her thigh bone, her stepson Carlo Alberto Pinelli told CNN. The actress, who played the jilted girlfriend of Rick (Humphrey Bogart) in the movie, was 92.
PHOTO: Everett Collection
Papa Wemba, one of Africa
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Papa Wemba, one of Africa's most flamboyant and popular musicians, died after collapsing on stage at a music festival in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, on April 23, according to a statement from the Urban Music Festival. He was 66.
PHOTO: TONY KARUMBA/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
The musician Prince died at his home in Minnesota on April 21 at age 57. The medical examiner later determined he died of an accidental overdose of the opioid fentanyl.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
The musician Prince died at his home in Minnesota on April 21 at age 57. The medical examiner later determined he died of an accidental overdose of the opioid fentanyl.
PHOTO: Richard E. Aaron/Redferns/getty images
Michelle McNamara, the crime writer who founded the website TrueCrimeStory.com and the wife of popular comedian Patton Oswalt, died April 21, her husband
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Michelle McNamara, the crime writer who founded the website TrueCrimeStory.com and the wife of popular comedian Patton Oswalt, died April 21, her husband's publicist confirmed. She was 46. No cause of death was provided.
PHOTO: E. Charbonneau/WireImage/Getty Images
Joan Laurer, the former pro wrestler better known as Chyna, was found dead in her Redondo Beach, California, apartment on April 20. The cause of death is under investigation, but police said there were no signs of foul play. Laurer was 45.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Joan Laurer, the former pro wrestler better known as Chyna, was found dead in her Redondo Beach, California, apartment on April 20. The cause of death is under investigation, but police said there were no signs of foul play. Laurer was 45.
PHOTO: Courtesy Everett Collection
Actress Doris Roberts, best known for her role as Marie Barone on the sitcom "Everybody Loves Raymond," died April 17. She was 90.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Actress Doris Roberts, best known for her role as Marie Barone on the sitcom "Everybody Loves Raymond," died April 17. She was 90.
PHOTO: Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Will Smith, a former first-round pick in the NFL who played for the New Orleans Saints
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Will Smith, a former first-round pick in the NFL who played for the New Orleans Saints' Super Bowl-winning team, was shot to death after a traffic incident on April 9. He was 34.
PHOTO: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images
Country music legend Merle Haggard died on April 6 -- his 79th birthday -- of complications from pneumonia, his agent Lance Roberts told CNN.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Country music legend Merle Haggard died on April 6 -- his 79th birthday -- of complications from pneumonia, his agent Lance Roberts told CNN.
PHOTO: Paul Natkin/Getty Images
Architect Zaha Hadid, whose designs include the London Olympic Aquatic Centre, died March 31, a spokesperson from Zaha Hadid Design told CNN. She was 65. Hadid died of a heart attack in a Miami hospital where she was being treated for bronchitis, according to her firm
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Architect Zaha Hadid, whose designs include the London Olympic Aquatic Centre, died March 31, a spokesperson from Zaha Hadid Design told CNN. She was 65. Hadid died of a heart attack in a Miami hospital where she was being treated for bronchitis, according to her firm's press office.
PHOTO: View Pictures/Universal Images Group/Getty Images
Actress Patty Duke, star of "The Patty Duke Show," died March 29, at the age of 69. Duke won an Academy Award at age 16 for playing Helen Keller in 1962
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Actress Patty Duke, star of "The Patty Duke Show," died March 29, at the age of 69. Duke won an Academy Award at age 16 for playing Helen Keller in 1962's "The Miracle Worker."
PHOTO: Hulton Archive/Archive Photos/Getty Images
Actor James Noble, who played Gov. Eugene X. Gatling in the television series "Benson," died from a stroke on March 28. He was 94.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Actor James Noble, who played Gov. Eugene X. Gatling in the television series "Benson," died from a stroke on March 28. He was 94.
PHOTO: ABC/Getty Images
Author and poet Jim Harrison died March 26 at his winter home in Arizona. He was 78. His many books include "Legends of the Fall," which was made into a 1994 movie starring Brad Pitt and Anthony Hopkins.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Author and poet Jim Harrison died March 26 at his winter home in Arizona. He was 78. His many books include "Legends of the Fall," which was made into a 1994 movie starring Brad Pitt and Anthony Hopkins.
PHOTO: Aaron Lynett/Toronto Star/Toronto Star/Getty Images
Garry Shandling, the inventive comedian and star of "The Larry Sanders Show," died March 24. He was 66. Shandling
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Garry Shandling, the inventive comedian and star of "The Larry Sanders Show," died March 24. He was 66. Shandling's comedy and mentorship influenced a generation of comedians.
PHOTO: Charles Sykes/AP
Ken Howard, seen here as Hank Hooper on "30 Rock," died March 23. He was 71. Howard also starred in "The White Shadow" and appeared in many other TV series.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Ken Howard, seen here as Hank Hooper on "30 Rock," died March 23. He was 71. Howard also starred in "The White Shadow" and appeared in many other TV series.
PHOTO: Ali Goldstein/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
Malik Taylor, better known to fans as Phife Dawg of the rap group A Tribe Called Quest, died March 23 at the age of 45. He
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Malik Taylor, better known to fans as Phife Dawg of the rap group A Tribe Called Quest, died March 23 at the age of 45. He's seen here at center during a performance in 1996. Taylor had long suffered from health issues associated with having Type 1 diabetes. In 2008, he underwent a kidney transplant.
PHOTO: Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images
Actor Larry Drake, best known for his role as Benny on "L.A. Law," died at his home in Los Angeles on March 17, according to his manager Steven Siebert. Drake was 66.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Actor Larry Drake, best known for his role as Benny on "L.A. Law," died at his home in Los Angeles on March 17, according to his manager Steven Siebert. Drake was 66.
PHOTO: NBC/Getty Images
Frank Sinatra Jr., the son of the legendary entertainer who had a long musical career of his own, died March 16, said manager Andrea Kauffman. He was 72.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Frank Sinatra Jr., the son of the legendary entertainer who had a long musical career of his own, died March 16, said manager Andrea Kauffman. He was 72.
PHOTO: Charley Gallay/Getty Images North America
Keith Emerson, keyboardist for the influential progressive rock group Emerson, Lake & Palmer, died March 10, according to the band
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Keith Emerson, keyboardist for the influential progressive rock group Emerson, Lake & Palmer, died March 10, according to the band's official Facebook page. He was 71.
PHOTO: Ed Perlstein/Redferns/Getty Images
Sir George Martin, the music producer whose collaboration with the Beatles helped redraw the boundaries of popular music, died March 8, according to his management company. He was 90. Above, Martin poses with the Beatles after the album "Please Please Me" went silver in 1963.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Sir George Martin, the music producer whose collaboration with the Beatles helped redraw the boundaries of popular music, died March 8, according to his management company. He was 90. Above, Martin poses with the Beatles after the album "Please Please Me" went silver in 1963.
PHOTO: Chris Ware/Keystone/Getty Images
Former first lady Nancy Reagan, who joined her husband on a storybook journey from Hollywood to the White House, died of heart failure on March 6. She was known as a fierce protector of her husband, President Ronald Reagan, as well as a spokeswoman of the "just say no" anti-drug campaign. She was 94.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Former first lady Nancy Reagan, who joined her husband on a storybook journey from Hollywood to the White House, died of heart failure on March 6. She was known as a fierce protector of her husband, President Ronald Reagan, as well as a spokeswoman of the "just say no" anti-drug campaign. She was 94.
PHOTO: Images Press/Archive Photos/Getty Images
Pat Conroy, who used his troubled family history as grist for a series of novels, including "The Prince of Tides" and "The Great Santini," died March 4 at age 70.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Pat Conroy, who used his troubled family history as grist for a series of novels, including "The Prince of Tides" and "The Great Santini," died March 4 at age 70.
PHOTO: Jeffrey Vock/Getty Images/File
Bud Collins, the legendary tennis writer who was the first newspaper scribe to regularly appear on sports broadcasts, died March 4. He was 86. Collins was beloved for his cheerful and enthusiastic coverage of a sport he covered for almost 50 years.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Bud Collins, the legendary tennis writer who was the first newspaper scribe to regularly appear on sports broadcasts, died March 4. He was 86. Collins was beloved for his cheerful and enthusiastic coverage of a sport he covered for almost 50 years.
PHOTO: GILL ALLEN/AP
Lee Reherman, a former football player and star of "American Gladiators," was found dead on March 1. He was 49 years old.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Lee Reherman, a former football player and star of "American Gladiators," was found dead on March 1. He was 49 years old.
PHOTO: Jean Baptiste Lacroix/WireImage/getty images
George Kennedy, the brawny, Oscar-winning actor known for playing cops, soldiers and blue-collar authority figures in such films as "Cool Hand Luke," "Airport" and the "Naked Gun" films, died February 28. He was 91.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
George Kennedy, the brawny, Oscar-winning actor known for playing cops, soldiers and blue-collar authority figures in such films as "Cool Hand Luke," "Airport" and the "Naked Gun" films, died February 28. He was 91.
PHOTO: Silver Screen Collection/Moviepix/Getty Images
Tony Burton, who played trainer Tony "Duke" Evers in the "Rocky" film franchise, died on February 25. He was 78.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Tony Burton, who played trainer Tony "Duke" Evers in the "Rocky" film franchise, died on February 25. He was 78.
PHOTO: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Singer Sonny James, who ruled the country music charts for nearly 20 years, died February 22 at the age of 87.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Singer Sonny James, who ruled the country music charts for nearly 20 years, died February 22 at the age of 87.
PHOTO: Associated Press
Umberto Eco, author of the novels "The Name of the Rose" and "Foucault
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Umberto Eco, author of the novels "The Name of the Rose" and "Foucault's Pendulum," died February 19 at the age of 84, his U.S. publisher said.
PHOTO: Hannelore Foerster/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images
Harper Lee, whose novel "To Kill a Mockingbird" was awarded a Pulitzer Prize in 1961, was confirmed dead on February 19. She was 89. Her long-anticipated second novel, "Go Set a Watchman," was published in 2015.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Harper Lee, whose novel "To Kill a Mockingbird" was awarded a Pulitzer Prize in 1961, was confirmed dead on February 19. She was 89. Her long-anticipated second novel, "Go Set a Watchman," was published in 2015.
PHOTO: Donald Uhrbrock/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images
Boutros Boutros-Ghali, who was the United Nations
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Boutros Boutros-Ghali, who was the United Nations' sixth secretary-general in the early 1990s, died on February 16. He was 93.
PHOTO: JEAN-PIERRE MULLER/AFP/Getty Images
George Gaynes, the veteran actor best known for "Punky Brewster" and the "Police Academy" films, died on February 15. He was 98.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
George Gaynes, the veteran actor best known for "Punky Brewster" and the "Police Academy" films, died on February 15. He was 98.
PHOTO: ABC Photo Archives/Getty Images
Denise Matthews, who fronted the group Vanity 6 but was best known for her collaboration with Prince, died February 15 at a hospital in Fremont, California. She was 57.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Denise Matthews, who fronted the group Vanity 6 but was best known for her collaboration with Prince, died February 15 at a hospital in Fremont, California. She was 57.
PHOTO: Ron Wolfson/WireImage/Getty Images
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, the leading conservative voice on the high court, died at the age of 79, a government source and a family friend told CNN on February 13.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, the leading conservative voice on the high court, died at the age of 79, a government source and a family friend told CNN on February 13.
PHOTO: Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Edgar Mitchell was the sixth man to walk on the moon and just one of 12 total who have done so. The Apollo 14 astronaut, who was 85, died on February 4.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Edgar Mitchell was the sixth man to walk on the moon and just one of 12 total who have done so. The Apollo 14 astronaut, who was 85, died on February 4.
PHOTO: NASA
Dave Mirra, whose dazzling aerial flips and tricks made him a legend in freestyle BMX, died February 4 of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, police in North Carolina said. He was 41.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Dave Mirra, whose dazzling aerial flips and tricks made him a legend in freestyle BMX, died February 4 of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, police in North Carolina said. He was 41.
PHOTO: ED REINKE/AP/FILE
Maurice White, the Earth, Wind & Fire leader and singer who co-wrote such hits as "Shining Star," "Sing a Song" and "September," died on February 4, his brother and bandmate Verdine White said. He was 74.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Maurice White, the Earth, Wind & Fire leader and singer who co-wrote such hits as "Shining Star," "Sing a Song" and "September," died on February 4, his brother and bandmate Verdine White said. He was 74.
PHOTO: Anthony Barboza//Getty Images
Joe Alaskey, a voice actor who performed such characters as Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, died February 3 at the age of 63. The actor voiced many other beloved Looney Tunes characters, including Tweety Bird, Sylvester the Cat and Plucky Duck.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Joe Alaskey, a voice actor who performed such characters as Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, died February 3 at the age of 63. The actor voiced many other beloved Looney Tunes characters, including Tweety Bird, Sylvester the Cat and Plucky Duck.
PHOTO: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
At left is Bob Elliott, half of the TV and radio comedy duo Bob and Ray. He died February 2 at the age of 92. For several decades, Elliott and Ray Goulding
Photos: People we lost in 2016
At left is Bob Elliott, half of the TV and radio comedy duo Bob and Ray. He died February 2 at the age of 92. For several decades, Elliott and Ray Goulding's program parodies and deadpan routines were staples of radio and television. Elliott was the father of comedian and actor Chris Elliott and the grandfather of "Saturday Night Live" cast member Abby Elliott.
PHOTO: FPG/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Paul Kantner, a guitarist in the
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Paul Kantner, a guitarist in the '60s psychedelic rock band Jefferson Airplane and its successor, Jefferson Starship, died on January 28. He was 74.
PHOTO: Tom Hill/WireImage/Getty Images
Abe Vigoda, the long-surviving "Godfather" and "Barney Miller" actor, died January 26 at age 94. Vigoda became famous for his role as the decrepit detective Phil Fish on the television series "Barney Miller," but it was the inaccurate reporting of his death in 1982 that led to a decades-long joke that he was still alive. He played into the joke in late-night television appearances with Conan O
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Abe Vigoda, the long-surviving "Godfather" and "Barney Miller" actor, died January 26 at age 94. Vigoda became famous for his role as the decrepit detective Phil Fish on the television series "Barney Miller," but it was the inaccurate reporting of his death in 1982 that led to a decades-long joke that he was still alive. He played into the joke in late-night television appearances with Conan O'Brien and David Letterman.
PHOTO: ABC/Getty Images
Glenn Frey, a founding member of the Eagles, died at the age of 67, a publicist for the band confirmed on January 18. "Glenn fought a courageous battle for the past several weeks but, sadly, succumbed to complications from rheumatoid arthritis, acute ulcerative colitis and pneumonia," read a post on the band
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Glenn Frey, a founding member of the Eagles, died at the age of 67, a publicist for the band confirmed on January 18. "Glenn fought a courageous battle for the past several weeks but, sadly, succumbed to complications from rheumatoid arthritis, acute ulcerative colitis and pneumonia," read a post on the band's official website. Frey had been suffering from intestinal issues.
PHOTO: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Dan Haggerty, who played mountain man Grizzly Adams in a hit movie followed by a TV show, died on January 15. He was 74 and had been battling cancer.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Dan Haggerty, who played mountain man Grizzly Adams in a hit movie followed by a TV show, died on January 15. He was 74 and had been battling cancer.
PHOTO: Frank Carroll/NBC/Getty Images
Alan Rickman, the British actor who played the brooding Professor Severus Snape in the "Harry Potter" series years after his film debut as the "Die Hard" villain Hans Gruber, died January 14 after a short battle with cancer, a source familiar with his career said. He was 69.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Alan Rickman, the British actor who played the brooding Professor Severus Snape in the "Harry Potter" series years after his film debut as the "Die Hard" villain Hans Gruber, died January 14 after a short battle with cancer, a source familiar with his career said. He was 69.
PHOTO: Murray Close/Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder Monte Irvin died January 11 at the age of 96. Irvin was regarded as one of the best hitters and all-around players in the Negro League, making five All-Star teams. He became one of the first African-Americans to play in the majors, and he played a vital role in the New York Giants
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder Monte Irvin died January 11 at the age of 96. Irvin was regarded as one of the best hitters and all-around players in the Negro League, making five All-Star teams. He became one of the first African-Americans to play in the majors, and he played a vital role in the New York Giants' World Series runs in 1951 and 1954.
PHOTO: Carl Kidwiler/DIAMOND IMAGES/Getty Images
David Bowie, whose incomparable sound and chameleon-like ability to reinvent himself made him a pop music fixture for more than four decades, died January 10 after an 18-month battle with cancer. He was 69.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
David Bowie, whose incomparable sound and chameleon-like ability to reinvent himself made him a pop music fixture for more than four decades, died January 10 after an 18-month battle with cancer. He was 69.
PHOTO: Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
French fashion designer Andre Courreges, famous for his "space age" designs of the 1960s and 1970s, died on January 7, his family told CNN affiliate France 3. He was 92.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
French fashion designer Andre Courreges, famous for his "space age" designs of the 1960s and 1970s, died on January 7, his family told CNN affiliate France 3. He was 92.
PHOTO: Bernd Thiele/ullstein bild/Getty Images
Pat Harrington, the popular comedian and voice-over talent who made a lasting impact as superintendent Dwayne Schneider on the hit TV sitcom "One Day at a Time," died on January 6. He was 86.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Pat Harrington, the popular comedian and voice-over talent who made a lasting impact as superintendent Dwayne Schneider on the hit TV sitcom "One Day at a Time," died on January 6. He was 86.
PHOTO: CBS/Getty Images
Producer Robert Stigwood, the creative force behind "Saturday Night Fever," "Grease" and other cultural blockbusters of the 1970s, died on January 4. He was 81.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Producer Robert Stigwood, the creative force behind "Saturday Night Fever," "Grease" and other cultural blockbusters of the 1970s, died on January 4. He was 81.
PHOTO: Steve Morley/Redferns/Getty Images
Vilmos Zsigmond, the Oscar-winning cinematographer whose varied work included "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," "The Deer Hunter," "McCabe and Mrs. Miller" and "Deliverance," died on January 1. He was 85.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Vilmos Zsigmond, the Oscar-winning cinematographer whose varied work included "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," "The Deer Hunter," "McCabe and Mrs. Miller" and "Deliverance," died on January 1. He was 85.
PHOTO: Michael Ochs Archives/Moviepix/Getty Images
Dale Bumpers, a former U.S. senator and Arkansas governor who defended President Bill Clinton during his impeachment trial, died on January 1. He was 90.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Dale Bumpers, a former U.S. senator and Arkansas governor who defended President Bill Clinton during his impeachment trial, died on January 1. He was 90.
PHOTO: Douglas Graham/CQ-Roll Call/Getty Images
Former U.S. Rep. Mike Oxley -- co-author of a landmark anti-corporate-fraud law that bears his name -- died on January 1. He was 71.
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Former U.S. Rep. Mike Oxley -- co-author of a landmark anti-corporate-fraud law that bears his name -- died on January 1. He was 71.
PHOTO: Dennis Brack/Bloomberg/Getty Images

He released his latest album, “Blackstar,” on January 8, two days before he died.

Like his past releases, the work – generally praised by music critics – defied genres. The influential music publication NME called it an amalgamation of “warped showtunes, skronking industrial rock, soulful balladeering, airy folk-pop, even hip-hop.”

An indelible mark

That in a nutshell was Bowie: There was hardly a musical style he didn’t dabble in – and indelibly leave his mark upon.

Since his breakthrough with “Ziggy Stardust,” Bowie’s reach was eclectic: glam rock, prog rock, pop rock, electronic rock.

And the results? Electric. To the tune of more than 130 million records sold. The album titles, including “Aladdin Sane,” “Station to Station” and “Scary Monsters,” are familiar to any music fan.

Though he didn’t have his first No. 1 single in the United States until “Fame” in 1975, he’d already been making a mark with heavily played singles, including “Space Oddity,” “Changes,” “Suffragette City,” “Rebel Rebel” and his first Top 40 hit, 1975’s “Young Americans.”

After that, he was almost as present on the singles charts as the album charts, with hits such as “Golden Years,” “Under Pressure” (with Queen), “Let’s Dance” (another No. 1), “Blue Jean” and “Never Let Me Down.”

“David Bowie was one of my most important inspirations, so fearless, so creative, he gave us magic for a lifetime,” tweeted rapper Kanye West, as news of Bowie’s death made the rounds.

Entertainment world mourns the loss of Bowie

Changing looks

He was born David Jones, to a waitress and a nightclub owner in South London on January 8, 1947.

Though he began his musical life with his birth name, riding the mod wave of the mid-1960s, he changed to “Bowie” to avoid confusion with Davy Jones, the lead singer of the Monkees, who was enjoying serious pop success at the time.

That reinvention was the first of many. And his timing was often impeccable.

He released his song about a doomed astronaut, “Space Oddity,” just days before the 1969 moon landing.

Four years later he killed off his most famous creation, the other-worldly “Ziggy Stardust,” just at the point where it threatened to overwhelm him.

He soon transformed into the Thin White Duke, a cocksure but coked-out mad aristrocrat. While Ziggy was all arena rock, the Duke was chilled soul. While Ziggy gave him “Space Oddity,” the Duke gave him yet another timeless classic, “Fame,” a song co-written with John Lennon, one of his many admirers.

Such speedy changes could catch his fans off guard.

“I went to the ‘Diamond Dogs’ show (in June 1974) expecting something like Ziggy Stardust,” fan John Neilson told NPR in 2014. “And then in October I expected to see something like ‘Diamond Dogs,’ and it was the soul revue. It might as well have been a completely different artist.”

Bowie was as much observer as observed. In a 1974 interview with Dick Cavett, he said he started carrying a cane when he noticed his fans doing so.

“He was chameleon in many ways, as we know,” stage and film producer Robert Fox told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour. “But he could become a very ordinary-looking man. And sometimes I’d meet him in New York at a café, and people wouldn’t recognize him. And they’d be sitting three feet from him. He could just – he could fit in.”

Jean Paul Gaultier, Fashion Designer
David Bowie: A style icon remembered —  
Jean Paul Gaultier, Fashion Designer
PHOTO: Anastasia Beltyukova
Nick Knight, Photographer and Founder, SHOWstudio
David Bowie: A style icon remembered —  
Nick Knight, Photographer and Founder, SHOWstudio
PHOTO: Anastasia Beltyukova
Jeremy Scott, Fashion designer, Moschino
David Bowie: A style icon remembered —  
Jeremy Scott, Fashion designer, Moschino
PHOTO: Anastasia Beltyukova
Dylan Jones OBE, Editor of British GQ
David Bowie: A style icon remembered —  
Dylan Jones OBE, Editor of British GQ
PHOTO: Anastasia Beltyukova
Katie Grand, Editor, Love Magazine
David Bowie: A style icon remembered —  
Katie Grand, Editor, Love Magazine
PHOTO: Anastasia Beltyukova
Martin Roth, Director, Victoria and Albert Museum
David Bowie: A style icon remembered —  
Martin Roth, Director, Victoria and Albert Museum
PHOTO: Anastasia Beltyukova
Helen Green, Illustrator
David Bowie: A style icon remembered —  
Helen Green, Illustrator
PHOTO: Anastasia Beltyukova

Taking a toll

Still, if it was all part of the package, the burden of living his art in public took a toll. By the mid-1970s, “Bowie was lost in a haze of cocaine addiction,” wrote Ultimate Classic Rock’s Frank Mastropolo. He finally holed up in Berlin and recorded the groundbreaking “Berlin” trilogy: “Low,” ” ‘Heroes’ ” and “Lodger.” (The quotation marks around the album title ” ‘Heroes’ ” were a deliberate ironic touch.)

“I had approached the brink of drug-induced calamity one too many times, and it was essential to take some kind of positive action,” he said in an interview years later, according to Ultimate Classic Rock.

Musically, he kept one foot in the avant garde. On the song “Heroes,” he half-sings, half-screams, with some of the atmosphere provided by white noise.

Others paid attention. Composer Philip Glass used “Low” and ” ‘Heroes’ ” as the subjects of symphonies in the 1990s.

“David Bowie was a true innovator, a true creative. May he rest in peace,” tweeted uber-producer Pharrell Williams.

Despite the edginess, Bowie’s work still resonated with the mainstream. “Heroes,” in fact, later became a theme for many. The 2012 British Olympic team entered the stadium to the tune.

He even sang a Christmas song, “The Little Drummer Boy,” with the most mainstream of American crooners, Bing Crosby, on a 1977 TV special. There were no theatrics, no frills, just Bowie’s pure voice meshing with one of the oldest of the Old Guard.

The ‘80s and beyond

The 1980s were a great time to be Bowie.

Starting with his collaboration with Queen on “Under Pressure,” he brilliantly reinvented himself to take full advantage of the music video era.

The 1983 “Let’s Dance” album, produced by Chic’s Nile Rodgers, became his most commercially successful album, its sound and his look influencing a new generation of musicians. The videos for the album’s singles, including the title cut and “China Girl,” were ubiquitous on the music video channel MTV.

Bowie, by then pushing 40, was as relevant as the era’s power chord-slamming 20-somethings or synthesizer-playing Euro pop stars – musicians for whom he’d paved the way.

Through it all, his Midas touch made classics of other people’s songs. He produced Lou Reed’s “Transformer,” with its hit “Walk on the Wild Side,” and Iggy Pop’s “Lust for Life,” among others.

“David’s friendship was the light of my life. I never met such a brilliant person. He was the best there is,” Iggy Pop tweeted.

He also innovated in the sale of his work. In 1997, he raised $55 million by promising investors income from his back catalog. The financial device, labeled the “Bowie bond,” was later used for artists such as James Brown and Marvin Gaye.

David Bowie made music history with ‘Bowie bond’

Bowie’s output thinned in the 1990s and the 2000s, but he was no less envelope-pushing. He experimented with heavy metal, with industrial rock, and with drum and bass.

Expanded horizons

Bowie’s theatricality wasn’t limited to performing on stage. In 1976 he played the lead in Nicholas Roeg’s film “The Man Who Fell to Earth” as – perhaps appropriately – an alien. Four years later, he portrayed Joseph Merrick, who’d been deformed by a medical condition, in Broadway’s “The Elephant Man.”

Bowie continued acting through most of his life, often drawn to unusual characters. He played a vampire in 1983’s “The Hunger,” the Goblin King in 1986’s “Labyrinth,” Pontius Pilate in 1988’s “The Last Temptation of Christ” and Andy Warhol (about whom Bowie had once written a song) in 1996’s “Basquiat.”

He wasn’t above a little comedy, however. He had cameos in TV shows such as “SpongeBob SquarePants” and “Extras” and played himself in 2001’s “Zoolander.”

3rd July 1973: David Bowie performs his final concert as Ziggy Stardust at the Hammersmith Odeon, London. The concert later became known as the Retirement Gig.
3rd July 1973: David Bowie performs his final concert as Ziggy Stardust at the Hammersmith Odeon, London. The concert later became known as the Retirement Gig.
PHOTO: Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Related Article David Bowie: How he toyed with gender

His androgynous look sometimes led to questions of his sexuality that, like his music, defied classification.

He told Playboy magazine in the 1970s that he was bisexual. He told Rolling Stone in the 1980s he had always been a “closet heterosexual.”

He later clarified his experiences for the Telegraph.

“I was virtually trying anything. I really had a hunger to experience everything that life had to offer, from the opium den to whatever,” he said. But, he added, he was “not a particularly hedonistic person – I tried my best. I was up there with the best of them. I pushed myself into areas just for experiment and bravado, to see what would happen. But, in the final analysis, it’s not really me.”

’Zero to 60’

In 1992, Bowie married his second wife, model Iman. Their daughter, Alexandria, was born in 2000.

Bowie had some health problems in the early 2000s, including an emergency angioplasty in 2004.

He also stopped touring after the “A Reality” tour in 2003-04 and, until 2013’s “The Next Day,” he hadn’t put out an album in 10 years.

But recent months had seen signs of a Bowie re-emergence. Aside from “The Next Day,” he co-wrote the current stage play “Lazarus,” based on “The Man Who Fell to Earth,” and recorded and released “Blackstar.”

As usual, he gave it his all.

“He’d just go from zero to 60 once we walked out of the control room and into the studio,” drummer Mark Guiliana told Rolling Stone about the “Blackstar” sessions. “And his vocal performances were always just stunning, amazing.”

Longtime producer Tony Visconti reportedly turned the tables on Friday, having fans sing “Happy Birthday” to Bowie over the phone during Visconti’s live performance in New York.

Fox, who produced Bowie’s musical “Lazarus” and knew the singer for 40 years, told CNN that Bowie was in good spirits when the pair met only weeks ago.

“He wasn’t felling particularly well. I knew that I only had a brief moment,” Fox said. “But he was impeccable as ever. His manners were impeccable. And he talked about the future of the show. He talked a little about the treatment that he was going to start. And he was optimistic and hopeful and positive as ever.”

Bowie was always busy, always on to the next thing.

People we’ve lost in 2016

Twenty years ago, interviewed by Mick Brown of the UK Telegraph, he coolly assessed his past, but – typically Bowie – looked to the future.

At the time, he was reveling in the paintings of Damien Hirst and had plans for another project with producer Brian Eno. And there was no sense in waiting, he said.

“I don’t like wasting time,” Bowie told the paper.

CNN’s Elaine Yu, Pete Wilkinson and Stephy Chung contributed to this report.