David Bowie: His Life in Pictures

On 10 Jan, 2016, we were hit with an unpleasant reality: A world without David Bowie. The legendary musician died at 69 after a long battle with cancer; here, we reflect on his singular life with some of its most indelible images, reports  The People.

1. David Bowie's Early Years

David Bowie was frequently referred to as a chameleon. Before arriving at his glammed-out sci-fi look, he flirted with beatnik and hippie imagery. (This picture is from 1960.)

2. David Bowie as Davie Jones

Bowie, pictured here in 1965, originally struck out for fame under the name "Davie Jones." His son, Duncan, a movie director, still uses the original family surname.

3. David Bowie's Early Band

Bowie (far left, in 1969) briefly led a group called Feathers with his then-girlfriend, Hermione Farthingale (center) and John Hutchinson in London the late '60s.

4.David Bowie's Early Style

Bowie's style was considerably more conservative when he was first starting out as a musician – check him out in this skinny tie in 1966.

5. David Bowie's Musical Talents

The musician, pictured here in 1970, played saxophone in addition to keyboards and guitar. His childhood saxophone teacher, Ronnie Ross, plays the outgoing solo in Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side."

6. David Bowie's Eyes

Bowie's left pupil was left permanently dilated after a 1962 fight with childhood friend George Underwood over – what else? – a girl. Supposedly, the singer thanked Underwood for the injury later, saying it gave him "a kind of mystique."

7. David Bowie as a Father

Bowie had one son, Duncan (middle name Zowie), with his wife Angie, in 1971. The pair would divorce in 1980, and Duncan, going under his father's original surname Jones, would later become a film director.

8. David Bowie and Wife Angie

Pictured here in 1973, Bowie wed his wife Angie (then Mary Angela Barnett) in 1970 – the couple was married for 10 years.

9. David Bowie's Massive Music Sales

Bowie, here in 1973, is believed to have sold somewhere in the neighborhood of 140 million records during the course of his career.

10. David Bowie Marries Iman

Bowie met supermodel Iman in 1990. The pair married two years later and remained together until his death in early 2016.