Our hearts just stopped reading this.
According to a THR report, citing David Bowie’s representative, the 69-year-old English entertainer has died after an 18-month battle with cancer.
The official statement reads:
“David Bowie died peacefully today surrounded by his family after a courageous 18 month battle with cancer. While many of you will share in this loss, we ask that you respect the family’s privacy during their time of grief.”
The announcement was also posted up simultaneously on David Bowie’s website as well as Facebook page. Some fans are calling it out to be a hoax but David Bowie’s son Duncan Jones, also known as Zowie Bowie, has since confirmed the news, writing on his Twitter account:
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
The legendary singer was known as the creator of glam rock and was one of the most successful artistes of the 20th century. He had actually just released a new album last week titled, “Blackstar”, his 25th and final studio album, to coincide with his 69th birthday.
Was David Bowie saying goodbye without us knowing? 🙁
UPDATE (12th January, 1:47pm):
According to a The Independent report, David Bowie died from liver cancer he kept secret from all but handful of people.
One of the few friends who knew about David’s ailment is Belgian theatre director Ivo van Hove, who said that he was aware of the extent of the singer’s illness. “He told me more than one year and three months ago that he had liver cancer, just after he had been told this himself,” van Hove told a Dutch news website.
van Hove also told another Dutch news website, “Bowie was still writing on his deathbed, you could say. I saw a man fighting. He fought like a lion and kept working like a lion through it all. I had incredible respect for that.”
Sources: THR, The Verge, David Bowie’s website, David Bowie’s Facebook page, The Independent.
