Bowie's 18-month battle with liver cancer was kept from all but his family and a few close friends.
The Starman kept busy right up until the end, dying two days after the release of his final album Blackstar - which producer Tony Visconti called Bowie's "parting gift" to the world.
A new live album from Bowie, Ouvrez Le Chien 1995, is out this week.