By: Henry Eden ~Staff Writer~

David Bowie, one of the most versatile and unencumbered entertainers of his era, passed away on Sunday. Bowie’s death occurred at his home in New York following an 18-month battle with liver cancer. Bowie never made the news of his disease known to the public.

Considered by many as the single most influential artist of his generation, Bowie’s death came as a tragic shock to his many followers throughout the world. An outpouring of memorial posts, pictures, videos and online tributes emerged from both fans and musicians alike.

Bowie’s personae and musical style garnered him major attention as both a performer and a public figure. On stage his constantly changing look and musical sound kept audiences always waiting for his next move. His songs employed a variety of styles and characteristics within the rock genre and combined them with incredibly meaningful commentary on American life and society. The psychedelic and punk rock movements grew quickly as artists with deep musical connections to Bowie started to emerge.

Offstage, Bowie was a pioneer in the realm of a changing definition of human sexuality. In a time when homosexuality was largely detested, Bowie was rising to new heights of his musical and theatrical fame with the creation of his psychedelic alter ego Ziggy Stardust and often spoke of himself as gay, later publicly declaring himself as bisexual in 1976.

Bowie’s career was also never limited to music. He worked on many projects as a successful producer, and his acting career took many forms throughout his life. He was featured in everything from a Christopher Nolan film to a voice cameo on “Spongebob Squarepants.”

Bowie’s work in the entertainment industry never truly ceased and his death occurred just two days after the release of his 26th studio album, Blackstar. The album features songs and themes that allude to Bowie’s mindset as he approach death.

A tribute to his music has been announced for March 31 at New York’s Carnegie Hall and will feature acts such as The Roots performing covers of some of Bowie’s most iconic music. Bowie is survived by his wife Iman and two children, Duncan and Alexandria Jones.