Brit Awards to pay tribute to David Bowie's'extraordinary life and work

Bowie had kept his terminal liver cancer secret for over a year, sharing the information with only those closest to him, Belgian theatre director Ivo van Hove said.

Bowie released his final album, "Blackstar", on Friday, which was also his 69th birthday.

David Bowie's latest album Blackstar has reached number one and several of his other hits have returned to the charts following his death. He brought art and fashion to pop music, and influenced all three in turn.

"I saw a man who didn't want to die, he really didn't want to die...."

The cancer-stricken star posed for the final time in promotional pictures (above) which were posted to his official website and Instagram account just two days before his death.

It is in admiration of that inspiration that we showcase just a small sample of the countless creative works made in his honor.

Bowie's representatives have not explained what kind of cancer the 69-year-old died from, only that he died after "a courageous 18 month battle with cancer."

"I was never particularly fond of my voice", Bowie said.

It was during the recording process for "Blackstar" that Visconti realised what his long-term collaborator was doing with the album. "So I'm just going to email you, David Bowie, and if you can check your email in space or heaven or wherever you are, you don't have to email me back".

Bowie could sell some 130,000 copies of his recently released "Blackstar" album in the U.S.in the week ending January 14, Billboard reports.

He dispatched poignant thank-you notes to friends who were unaware he was on death's door.

"Sony have told us that, as things stand, they can not supply the quantities we need to cover our sales of this item from their initial pressing", say Norman Records.