Legendary British rock star David Bowie, who framed hits such as "Ziggy Stardust" with daringly androgynous displays of sexuality and glittering costumes, has died of cancer aged 69. A chameleon visionary, Bowie straddled the worlds of hedonistic rock, fashion and drama for five decades, pushing the boundaries of music and his own sanity to produce some of the most innovative songs of his generation. "David Bowie died peacefully today surrounded by his family after a courageous 18-month battle with cancer," read a statement on Bowie's Facebook page dated Sunday.

Steve Martin from Bowie's publicity company Nasty Little Man confirmed that the Facebook report was accurate. Londoners laid flowers at a makeshift memorial to Bowie in the Brixton area where he was born and British Prime Minister David Cameron hailed the singer as a genius.

Copyright Reuters, 2016