David Bowie died on January 10, 2016, after a private and courageous 18-month battle with liver cancer. He passed away peacefully at his home in New York City, surrounded by his family

. Bowie had kept his illness largely secret from the public and even many of his friends and collaborators were unaware of his condition until his death

. His death came just two days after the release of his final studio album, Blackstar , which many interpret as a poignant farewell in light of his terminal diagnosis