British singer David Bowie died Sunday at the age of 69 after an 18-month battle with cancer. The news was posted on the artist's official social media accounts; Bowie's rep also confirmed the news to The Hollywood Reporter. He died two days after his birthday.

Bowie, who was born David Robert Jones in Brixton, south London, scored his first hit in 1969 with the song "Space Oddity" and secured an enduring fanbase with his early albums "The Man Who Sold the World" and "Hunky Dory."

But the singer's breakthrough didn't happen until 1972, when he unveiled his androgynous alter ego, Ziggy Stardust , which catapulted him from "cult figure to rock icon ." He leveraged that glam-rock persona and popularity to produce albums for Lou Reed and Iggy Pop, before retiring the Stardust character in 1973. Bowie made his last appearance as his alter ego at a London show on July 3 of that year. At one point during the 18-song set, he told the audience, "Of all the shows on the tour, this particular show will remain with us the longest, because not only is it the last show of the tour, its the last show well ever do.