Londoners pay tribute to 'brilliant' David Bowie

LONDON — “Original” and “brilliant” are two of the words Francesco Roldan uses to describe David Bowie, who has died at 69 after an 18-month battle with cancer.

“All of my life I was a fan of Bowie and John Lennon,” said the 76-year-old, who joined journalists and other well-wishers Monday at a mural of the legendary singer outside a department store in Brixton, the south London neighborhood where Bowie was born.

“One of the things that kept me paying attention to him was he was very flamboyant — I’ve never seen the man not well dressed,” Roldan said.

“I even bought a t-shirt in Portobello Road (in Notting Hill) with his portrait — this is something I never do. He was a very brilliant man.”

Born David Robert Jones on Jan. 8, 1947, Bowie, who is often described as “Brixton's most famous son," moved to the Bromley area, also in south London, when he was six.

Hours after Bowie’s death on Sunday was announced, the mural had become a shrine to the singer, as fans left flowers at its base, while photographers and cameramen jostled for positions.

It was painted on the wall of Morleys department store by Australian artist James Cochran, also known as Jimmy C, in 2013 to accompany an exhibition called The Many Faces of David Bowie in Mayfair, central London. The street artwork was inspired by the cover of Bowie’s 1973 album Aladdin Sane.

At Bowie’s former childhood home nearby, the singer's music could be heard wafting from a house directly opposite.

Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron was among those who paid tribute to Bowie on Monday.

“I grew up listening to and watching the pop genius David Bowie,” Cameron tweeted. “He was a master of re-invention, who kept getting it right. A huge loss.”

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby — the head of the Church of England and the worldwide Anglican Church — told the BBC on Monday that he became a fan of Bowie around 40 years ago.

“I remember sitting listening to his songs endlessly in the ‘70s particularly and always really relishing what he was, what he did, the impact he had,” he said. “Extraordinary person.”

Tweeting from the International Space Station, British astronaut Tim Peake said: “Saddened to hear David Bowie has lost his battle with cancer — his music was an inspiration to many.”

London Mayor Boris Johnson added: “Terrible news to hear Brixton-born David Bowie has died. No one in our age has better deserved to be called a genius.”