5 Years Ago: David Bowie Transforms Once More, Then Vanishes David Bowie orchestrated his departure with a familiar sense of mystery and panache. A clue-filled final album, released just days before Bowie finally succumbed on Jan. 10, 2016 following a secret 18-month bout with liver cancer, became this well-spring of intrigue. Blackstar was a farewell, but it wasn't straight forward. Nothing about his life had been. Bowie built a platform for ever-evolving subsequent stars like Madonna, Prince and Lady Gaga. Along the way, no major musical movement across Bowie's five-decade career went untouched by his frisky genius. He had the ability to change how things were done on both Broadway and Wall Street.