His son, film director Duncan Jones, confirmed the news and a statement was released on his official social media accounts.
"David Bowie died peacefully today surrounded by his family after a courageous 18-month battle with cancer," it said. News of his death has prompted response across social media.
According to a social media data analytics tool, by 0900 GMT there were over a million tweets globally, using the hashtag #Bowie. The top 10 trending Twitter tags included #RipDavidBowie, #DavidBowie and #Bowie and #legend.
Fellow musicians have been sharing their sadness on social media. Marc Almond says he is "devastated":
Comedian Ricky Gervais tweets of his loss, while fellow funny man Eddie Izzard has an upbeat message.
And of course there are the the legions of Bowie fans who have told of their shock and sadness. Theresa McAllister shared how she felt when she first heard the news.
Katherine, on Twitter, finds the positive in the sadness.
A chance encounter at a bar in Wembley has stayed with Christine Mackenzie, as she shared on Facebook.
And the conversations on Facebook continue with many fans recalling their encounters with the rockstar:
And others made reference to his film work, which included playing Jareth The Goblin King in the 1986 Jim Henson movie Labyrinth.
But mainly the word on repeat is "legend".
Mel sums up the woes of growing older:
And as if to prove that David Bowie's music was out of this world, British astronaut Tim Peake sent his thoughts from the International Space Station.
Compiled by Alison Daye

Yves Jego has launched a drive on the Change.org website calling for vegetarian alternatives to be compulsory in all schools.
More than 73,000 people have so far backed the petition.
The move comes after a town in eastern France banned all pork substitutes in school meals last week.
The conservative mayor of Chalon sur Saone had earlier launched his own campaign on Change.org, reiterating France's secular values. His campaign has gained 2,750 supporters.
"Messages of support and of encouragement have come from every corner of France and from French people of all backgrounds, faiths and professions," the mayor, Gilles Platret, wrote.
A court in the city of Dijon last week rejected an appeal against Mr Platret's intention to ban pork substitutes.
"Can we force a Catholic child to eat meat on Good Friday because nothing else is proposed, or a Jew or a Muslim to eat pork?," Mr Jego asked in his petition, set up in response to Mr Platret's.
He said he would propose a law if the petition received 75,000 signatories.
France insists on the separation of religion and the state, and in 2004 introduced a ban on headscarves in schools.
France has five million residents of Muslim descent, half of whom are under the age of 24. It also has the largest Jewish population in Europe.
A secular solution to the problem of school meals was possible, said Mr Jego, of the left-wing Radical Party.
The petitions have led to a debate in some quarters on the nature of secularism and what is ethically correct.
"Secularism is not the denial of religions and beliefs, but the respect of all religions," wrote Houari Zeidouni, who signed Mr Jego's petition.
But France's Agriculture Minister, Stephane le Foll, wrote in a tweet: "Supporting French livestock with vegetarian menus: that's Yves Jego's programme! Let's be consistent."

Media playback is unsupported on your device
16 December 2014 Last updated at 08:58 GMT
Dr Andrew Goodall said a choice may have to be made between emergency care and non-urgent surgery.
In an extended interview with BBC Wales health correspondent Owain Clarke, Dr Goodall said hospitals might make the decision not to schedule surgery in the first place to focus on "front door pressures" during the peak winter months.
Two hospitals, Morriston in Swansea and the Princess of Wales in Bridgend, have already cancelled some surgical procedures until after Christmas.
Singer David Bowie has died at the age of 69 following an 18-month battle with cancer.
[NEXT_CONCEPT]
A French MP is campaigning for vegetarian school meals to be introduced to help pupils whose religions prevent them eating pork.
[NEXT_CONCEPT]
The new chief executive of the Welsh NHS has told BBC Wales winter pressures could force hospitals to cancel operations.