Music legend David Bowie has been secretly cremated without any of his family or friends present as the iconic singer told his loved ones before his death that he wanted to “go without any fuss” and not have a funeral service or public memorial.
The star, who bravely battled liver cancer over the last 18 months, made his plans clear to his family, including wife Iman, 60, for what he wanted to happen when the time came.
The Starman singer said he only wanted to be remembered for the good times they shared and the music he made.
Bowie released his last album to rave reviews on January 8 – his 69th birthday. On Monday, Bowie’s producer, Tony Visconti, wrote on Facebook that the album was his “parting gift” to fans.
“He always did what he wanted to do. And he wanted to do it his way and he wanted to do it the best way,” he said.
“His death was no different from his life – a work of art. He made Blackstar for us, his parting gift.”
About David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 1947 – 10 January 2016), known as David Bowie (/ˈboʊ.i/),[1] was an English singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, painter and actor. He was a figure in popular music for over five decades, and was considered by critics and other musicians as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s.
Born and raised in south London, Bowie developed an interest in music while at Burnt Ash junior school and showed aptitude in singing and playing the recorder. When he left school he studied art, music and design, and became proficient on the saxophone, forming his first band that year at the age of 15. He embarked on a professional career as a musician in 1963, and received his first management contract shortly afterwards. “Space Oddity” became his first top five entry on the UK Singles.
Chart after its release in July 1969. After a period of experimentation, he re-emerged in 1972 during the glam rock era with his flamboyant and androgynous alter ego Ziggy Stardust. The character was spearheaded by his single “Starman” and album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. The relatively short-lived Ziggy persona proved to be one facet of a career marked by reinvention, musical innovation and visual presentation.