--- description: The pop legend died at age 69 following a battle with cancer title: How the Internet Reacted to David Bowie's Death image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt24069e478266c056/6988786d3c1639e2d245b7ed/h_52514487.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Here's How the Internet Reacted to David Bowie's Death by [Rishi Iyengar](/author/rishi-iyengar/) ## Rishi Iyengar Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Updated: Dec 13, 2023 8:46 PM CUTPublished: Jan 11, 2016 8:21 AM CUT  British rock legend David Bowie perfoming on stage during his concert in Hamburg, Germany, 16 Oct. 2003. British rock legend David Bowie perfoming on stage during his concert in Hamburg, Germany, 16 Oct. 2003.Maurizio Gambarini—EPA by [Rishi Iyengar](/author/rishi-iyengar/) ## Rishi Iyengar Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Updated: Dec 13, 2023 8:46 PM CUTPublished: Jan 11, 2016 8:21 AM CUT Music legend David Bowie [died](http://time.com/4174815/david-bowie-death-cancer/?xid=homepage "undefined") Sunday aged 69 following an 18-month battle with cancer. The pop icon’s death was [announced](https://www.facebook.com/davidbowie/posts/10153176666977665 "undefined") on his Facebook page early Monday morning, and confirmed by his son Duncan Jones on Twitter soon after. > [](https://twitter.com/ManMadeMoon/status/686441083648212992) Social media immediately erupted with messages of mourning, including from several of his contemporaries and peers in the music industry. The German Foreign Ministry thanked for his help in unifying East and West Germany. > [](https://twitter.com/GermanyDiplo/status/686498183669743616) His life and work was particularly priased by the musicians he worked with or those who were inspired by him. ### The Many Faces of David Bowie  David Bowie is seen c. 1965. CA—Redferns/Getty Images  David Bowie during a portrait session in 1966 in London. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images  David Bowie in his "Ziggy Stardust" guise in June, 1972 in London. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images  Twiggy poses with David Bowie for the cover of his Pin Ups album in 1973 in Paris. Justin de Villeneuve—Getty Images  David Bowie performs c. 1973. Archive Photos/Getty Images  From left: Angie Bowie, his son Zowie Bowie (Duncan Jones) and David Bowie, appear at a press conference at the Amstel Hotel on Feb. 7, 1974 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Gijsbert Hanekroot—Redferns/Getty Images  David Bowie is seen with a large barking dog while working on the artwork for his album Diamond Dogs in London in 1974. Terry O'Neill—Getty Images  From left: David Bowie, Yoko Ono and John Lennon at the 17th Annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 28, 1975 in New York City. Ron Galella—Getty Images  David Bowie during the filming of The Man Who Fell To Earth in Los Angeles in 1976. Terry O'Neill—Getty Images  Iggy Pop and David Bowie in Germany in March 1977. Evening Standard/Getty Images  David Bowie performs on Saturday Night Live on Dec. 15, 1979 in New York City. NBC/Getty Images  From left: Carmine Rojas, David Bowie, and Carlos Alomar perform during the Serious Moonlight tour in 1983 at Wembley Arena in London. Phil Dent—Redferns/Getty Images  Paul McCartney and David Bowie backstage at Live Aid on July 13, 1985 in London. Dave Hogan—Getty Images  David Bowie plays an acoustic guitar while being photographed at a press conference in Tokyo on May 19, 1990. AP  Annie Lennox and David Bowie perform "Under Pressure" at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert on April 20, 1992 in London. Kevin Mazur—Getty Images  David Bowie onstage at Madison Square Garden for his 50th Birthday Concert in New York City on Jan. 9, 1997. Kevin Mazur—Getty Images  David Bowie is seen while being honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Hollywood, Calif. on Feb. 12, 1997. Jim Smeal—Getty Images  David Bowie performs during the Isle of Wight Festival at Seaclose Park on June 13, 2004 in Newport, U.K. Jo Hale—Getty Images  David Bowie performs with Arcade Fire at Conde Nast's 2005 Fashion Rocks Show on Sept. 8, 2005 in New York City. Kevin Mazur—Getty Images  David Bowie during his last live performance on Nov. 09, 2006 in New York City. Kevin Mazur—Getty Images  David Bowie attends the 2010 CFDA Fashion Awards at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center on June 7, 2010 in New York City. Andrew H. Walker—Getty Images  David Bowie and Iman are seen on April 28, 2011 in New York City. Andrew H. Walker—Getty Images  David Bowie in 2015. Jimmy King > [](https://twitter.com/kanyewest/status/686449257767776256) > [](https://twitter.com/genesimmons/status/686456906525741056) > [](https://twitter.com/Pharrell/status/686460230318698496) > [](https://twitter.com/RollingStones/status/686516418993586177) > [](https://twitter.com/RollingStones/status/686516493757059072) > [](https://twitter.com/joshgroban/status/686447079791542272) > [](https://twitter.com/YO%5FRANDYJACKSON/status/686452678738587648) > [](https://twitter.com/foofighters/status/686460498934538240) **Read next:** [_See Intimate Photos of David Bowie Throughout His Career_](http://time.com/4117090/sukita-david-bowie-photos/ "undefined") Other celebrities including actor Bob Saget and Sunday night’s Golden Globes host Ricky Gervais also tweeted their condolences, as did British Prime Minister David Cameron and Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon. > [](https://twitter.com/bobsaget/status/686447377843138561) > [](https://twitter.com/JoeManganiello/status/686451964108906498) > [](https://twitter.com/rickygervais/status/686444063869026304) > [](https://twitter.com/oliviamunn/status/686453816779145216) > [](https://twitter.com/David%5FCameron/status/686446926586359808) > [](https://twitter.com/NicolaSturgeon/status/686444129941909504) Hundreds of other netizens shared tributes in their own way, with many sharing pictures and videos of some of his most memorable performances and flamboyant costumes. > [](https://twitter.com/shutupmikeginn/status/686442758874120192) > [](https://twitter.com/musicnews%5Fshade/status/686455088836153344) > [](https://twitter.com/%5FSnape%5F/status/686448400523489280) > [](https://twitter.com/PaulMcCartney/status/686547772611399683) > [](https://twitter.com/LukeClampitt/status/686575916340871169) > [](https://twitter.com/Madonna/status/686473114335744000) Bowie, who celebrated his birthday on Friday, had marked the occasion by releasing his latest album _Blackstar_. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4174828/david-bowie-dead-cancer-69-blackstar/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4174828/david-bowie-dead-cancer-69-blackstar/"},"headline":"Here's How the Internet Reacted to David Bowie's Death","datePublished":"2016-01-11T08:21:04.000Z","dateModified":"2023-12-13T20:46:51.000Z","description":"Social media erupted with messages of mourning","url":"https://time.com/4174828/david-bowie-dead-cancer-69-blackstar/","keywords":["celebrities","Music","Cancer","Kanye West","David Cameron","Dead","Ricky Gervais","David Bowie topic"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt24069e478266c056/6988786d3c1639e2d245b7ed/h_52514487.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Rishi Iyengar","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/rishi-iyengar/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt24069e478266c056/6988786d3c1639e2d245b7ed/h_52514487.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"David Bowie obit","caption":"David Bowie obit","creditText":"Maurizio Gambarini—EPA","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4174828/david-bowie-dead-cancer-69-blackstar/","name":"Here's How the Internet Reacted to David Bowie's Death"}}]}] ```