David Bowie has passed away at age 69

Legendary music icon David Bowie has passed away on January 11 after a long battle with cancer.

His passing came as quite a shock to many of his fans, as the 69-year old icon had been far from idle despite battling a very serious illness over the past 18 months. Just earlier this month on January 8, David released his 25th album 'Blackstar' as a gift to his listeners on his own birthday. In addition, a concert at Carnegie Hall to be held in his honor had been announced and slated for March 31, but unfortunately the show will now have to go on merely in memory of the prolific musician.

"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," a statement posted on his official social channels reads.

David Bowie rose to fame in the 70s and 80s, never fearing to experiment with early sounds of electronica, dance pop and rock and helping to glorify a sound that was so foreign and unexplored at the time. Bowie was a pioneer that made an impact on pop music, and furthermore, has undoubtedly influenced how electronic music today has been shaped and formed. With dozens of classic hits under his belt - 'Fame', 'Space Oddity', 'Heroes', 'Under Pressure', to name a few - there's no doubt that David Bowie's legacy will live on far past his death.

Valerie Lee is Mixmag's West Coast Editor. Follow her on Twitter