World renowned British musician, actor, songwriter, producer and instrumentalist David Bowie has died of liver cancer at age 69 on January 10, 2016. Bowie had released his final album, “Blackstar,” two days prior.

Bowie had been diagnosed with cancer 18 months earlier. Belgian theater director Ivo van Hove noted that “Bowie was still writing on his deathbed; I saw a man fighting.”

Bowie ended his fight at his home in New York surrounded by loved ones. His family is asking for respect and privacy to grieve during this difficult time.

Bowie’s death has affected millions across the world as many have taken to social media to share their condolences.

Over the course of four decades, Bowie was an innovator of music and a pioneer of glam rock. His inventive songs and stagecraft brought a new dimension to popular music in the early 1970s, strongly influencing both its immediate forms and its subsequent development.

His music almost completely abandoned traditional rock instrumentation. Bowie’s record company sought to convey his unique status in popular music with the slogan, “There is old wave, there is new wave, and there is Bowie.”

Musicologist James Perone credits Bowie with having “brought sophistication to rock music,” and critical reviews frequently bring light to the intellectual depth of his music and the influence of it.

Bowie’s unprecedented style of music got him inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. The music was a large part of his image, as it spoke to people and inspired a generation.

Bowie’s influence on society was also based on his ingenious appearance and actions. His combination of masculine and feminine characteristics and appearance was an iconic element to his success.

“I think the fact that David Bowie gave off such a confident image and was not afraid to show a very masculine side mixed with the soft look and feminine aspects was a key to his success in his time. I think it is part of what made him so popular and such an icon to others. He was someone in the media showcasing being seen as different in a time period where such things were not always excepted. If he had hidden it, I don’t think he would have been as successful. He is definitely an inspiration to me for doing that,” says an anonymous sophomore.

Bowie was always reaching out of the hypothetical box of the time period, especially with his alter ego Ziggy Stardust. Bowie as Stardust inspired Brian Slade in the 1989 film “Velvet Goldmine.”

Although he was married twice solely to women, Bowie was the principle inspiration for bisexual glam rock.

Bowie was forward-thinking for his time and voiced his liking to men and women proudly.

“I think being so different and so open about topics such as sexuality is what made him such an influence to generations,” says sophomore Reenal Patel.

His first wife, Angie Bowie, claims that Bowie had a relationship with Mick Jagger.

Bowie, however, denied allegations, even going as far to say that his public declaration of bisexuality was “the biggest mistake ever made,” and that he was always a “closet heterosexual.”

On other contrasting occasions, he said his interest in homosexual and bisexual culture had been more a product of the times and the situation.

Regardless of his sexuality, Bowie affected millions and continues to without being here.

World famous celebrities, including Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson, have taken to Twitter to share their condolences and share in the mourning of a beloved musician.

In doing so, a new and younger audience has been introduced to the legend that is Bowie.

“Blackstar,” his latest album released two days prior to his death, has already stunned fans with its sound; it is seen as his goodbye.

An anonymous sophomore says, “I hope he is remembered for generations to come because he is someone who deserves to be recognized. He deserves to be heard.”

How do you feel about David Bowie?