Long-time producer Tony Visconti hails 'extraordinary' David Bowie

David Bowie's long-time producer Tony Visconti has given his thoughts on the musician's death.

The music icon passed away on Sunday (January 10) aged 69 after an 18-month battle with cancer.

The news came just days after the release of Bowie's 25th album 'Blackstar'.

The Brit worked with producer Visconti on the record, who has collaborated with Bowie since his 1969 album 'Space Oddity'.

Writing on Facebook on Monday (January 11), the music man hailed the "'extraordinary" Bowie.

He wrote: "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.

"His death was no different from his life - a work of Art. He made 'Blackstar' for us, his parting gift. I knew for a year this was the way it would be. I wasn't, however, prepared for it.

"He was an extraordinary man, full of love and life. He will always be with us. For now, it is appropriate to cry."

Producer Brian Eno, who worked with Bowie in the 1970s, wrote in a statement:

"David's death came as a complete surprise, as did nearly everything else about him. I feel a huge gap now. We knew each other for over 40 years, in a friendship that was always tinged by echoes of [comic characters] Pete and Dud."

"Over the last few years - with him living in New York and me in London - our connection was by email. We signed off with invented names: some of his were mr showbiz, milton keynes, rhoda borrocks and the duke of ear."

"I received an email from him seven days ago. It was as funny as always, and as surreal, looping through word games and allusions and all the usual stuff we did. It ended with this sentence: 'Thank you for our good times, brian. they will never rot'. And it was signed 'Dawn'. I realise now he was saying goodbye."

A host of music stars and famous figures meanwhile such as Kanye West and David Cameron have been paying tribute to Bowie on Twitter.

Watch David Bowie perform live below: