Music legend David Bowie has been secretly cremated without any of his family or friends present.
The iconic singer, who lived in Maida Vale, Kensington and Chelsea during his 20s and played his final Ziggy Stardust show at the Hammersmith Odeon in 1973 , told his loved ones he wanted to “go without any fuss” and not have a funeral service or public memorial.
A source in New York told the Mirror : “There is no public or private service or a public memorial. There is nothing.”
Since the singer's death on Sunday, music lovers have been speculating about what plans the legendary showman had for his funeral.
But unbeknown to his millions of fans around the world, his body was quietly cremated shortly after he died.
As the star bravely battled liver cancer over the last 18 months, he made his plans clear to his family, including wife Iman, 60, for what he wanted to happen when the time came.
The Starman singer said he only wanted to be remembered for the good times they shared and the music he made.
A US source said: “In many respects you don’t need a memorial or service to remember David by...you have his music instead.
"He would have wanted to just disappear with no fuss, no big show, no fan-fare. This would totally be his style.
"His last album Blackstar was very much his goodbye to fans instead.”
Bowie, who was not religious, released the album to rave reviews on January 8 on his 69th birthday.
On Monday, Bowie’s producer, Tony Visconti, wrote on Facebook that the album was his “parting gift” to fans.
'Fitting tribute to one of our greatest icons'
The singer may have had what is known as a “direct cremation”, described on the New York State’s health department website as “the disposition of human remains by cremation without a formal viewing, visitation, or ceremony".
It is also variously described as one of the more affordable ways to dispose of someone who has passed away, costing between $700 to $900.
The deceased is generally collected from the place of death and transferred to the crematory. Once the required paperwork is done, they are then cremated.
The remains are then generally returned to the family unless otherwise specified.
While Bowie has asked there not to be a public memorial to him, there are plans in place elsewhere, however, to honour his contribution to music .
There will be a tribute next month at the Brit Awards with the chairman Max Lousada saying: “Naturally, we wish to honour his extraordinary life and work at the forthcoming Brit Awards and pay a fitting tribute to one of our greatest icons.”
Bowie will also be honoured with a memorial concert at New York’s Carnegie Hall on March 31.
The concert to celebrate Bowie’s musical legacy was announced hours before his death and tickets sold out within hours.
Organisers said the event would go ahead but as a memorial concert with “up to 20 artists” who would perform Bowie classics.
The Roots, Cyndi Lauper , The Mountain Goats, Heart’s Ann Wilson, Perry Farrell and Jakob Dylan are all lined up to take part.
