Director says David Bowie had liver cancer: 'He fought like a lion'

A recent David Bowie collaborator says the musician died of liver cancer.

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

Prior to his death, the Brit had been working with director Ivo van Hove on a stage show called Lazarus.

Van Hove told the Mirror that Bowie had been suffering from liver cancer and became "exhausted" as he worked through his diagnosis.

He said: "We began collaborating on our show Lazarus and at some point he took me to one side to say that he wouldn’t always be able to be there due to his illness. He told me he had cancer, liver cancer.

"The cast didn’t know all that time, and I suspect that the musicians with whom he recorded ‘Blackstar’ didn’t know either. He made every effort to complete those two projects on time, not to let his illness win.

"Bowie was still writing on his deathbed, you could say. He fought like a lion and kept working like a lion through it all. I had incredible respect for that."

Speaking about reaction to Bowie's last public appearance at the premiere of Lazarus in New York in December, the director added:

"It was written that he looked so well, so healthy. But behind the podium he collapsed from exhaustion.

"It was then that I realised that it may be the last time I would see him."

Bowie released his 25th album 'Blackstar' just days before his death.

Watch David Bowie's 'Lazarus' video below: