Rock legend David Bowie dead

Rock legend David Bowie passed away at the age of 69, confirmed his son.

A post shared on Bowie's official Facebook page read: "David Bowie died peacefully today (Sunday) 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."

His son Duncan Jones tweeted to confirm the news, reports abc.net.au.

"Very sorry and sad to say it's true. I'll be offline for a while. Love to all," he shared.

Born David Jones here in 1947, Bowie enjoyed a string of worldwide hits from the late 1960s onwards.

Known for albums including "Heroes", "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars", and "Hunky Dory", he established himself as one of music's most innovative performers.

His first hit was in 1969 "Space Oddity", which told the story of astronaut Major Tom. It was released in time to coincide with the Apollo 11 launch.

Entering the 1980s, Bowie's music became increasingly influenced by soul, disco and funk, while a burgeoning film career saw him appear in pictures including "Labyrinth".

On January 9, Bowie marked his 69th birthday with the release of a new album, "Blackstar", with critics giving the thumbs up to the latest work in a long and innovative career. The album features only seven songs.

The singer, songwriter, actor and artiste had returned to the music scene after 2013's chart-topping "The next day", itself released after a 10-year gap.

British Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted his condolences: "I grew up listening to and watching the pop genius David Bowie. He was a master of re-invention, who kept getting it right. A huge loss."