Davie Bowie was one of the most innovative and important musicians of the last 50 years. He was born David Jones in South London in 1947.

David Bowie in pictures

He first rose to fame with the single Space Oddity in 1969, released to coincide with the Apollo 11 moon landing. The song would later hit number one in the UK singles chart in 1975. He went on to have two other solo number one songs – Ashes To Ashes and Let's Dance – as well as joint number ones with Under Pressure (with Queen) Dancing In The Street (with Mick Jagger) and Perfect Day (Various Artists for the BBC) . He is estimated to have sold 140 million records worldwide.

As a rock star Bowie was renowned for both musical innovation and visual reinvention. He pioneered glam rock, before experimenting with soul, electronic and other musical styles throughout his career. He took on numerous alter egoes throughout his career, most notably the doomed bisexual alien rock star Ziggy Stardust

David Bowie was also renowned for his acting, appearing in numerous iconic films such as Labyrinth and The Man Who Fell to Earth. He also took to the stage to play the Elephant Man on Broadway in 1980.

He died on 10 January 2016, aged 69, after an an 18-month battle with cancer. His death came just three days after his 25th studio album, Blackstar, was released to critical acclaim.

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