Rock Icon David Bowie Passes Away at Age 69

I couldn't believe the news when I woke up this morning. The music world has lost another icon. David Bowie, the rock and roll visionary whose career spanned six decades, died Sunday after a long battle with cancer. He was 69.

An official statement posted online said Bowie had passed away "surrounded by his family after a courageous 18-month battle with cancer."

Bowie just released his latest album "Blackstar" this past Friday.

Bowie was among the primary innovators and showmen of rock 'n' roll for four decades. He didn't just push the edge of the envelope. He often manufactured the envelope itself, with such creations as glam rock and Ziggy Stardust.

Some of his biggest hits flowed from Bowie during the 1980s.... "Ashes to Ashes," "Under Pressure" (with Queen), "Let's Dance," "Modern Love" and "China Girl," among many others.

Along the way, Bowie also made a significant mark on stage and in movies. In 1976, he played a somewhat Ziggy-like alien in "The Man Who Fell to Earth". Other movies included "The Hunger", "Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence", "Into the Night", "Labyrinth", "The Last Temptation of Christ", "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me", "The Prestige" and "August". Even playing a Bond villain in "A View to a Kill".