Musicians who have died in 2016

One day after Motörhead's Lemmy Kilmister's funeral service, the news of the death of David Bowie shocked the music world. Bowie had just released his final album, "Blackstar," two days previously, for his 69th birthday. The public didn't know he had liver cancer. Bowie had long established himself as a pop icon - among others with his Ziggy Stardust character and his greatest hit, "Heroes."

Glenn Frey was one of the founding members of The Eagles - one of the most significant rock bands of the 1970s. The legendary band shaped the California rock sound, combining neatly arranged blues harmonies with rock music. Frey wrote most songs together with band member Don Henley. The most famous one undoubtedly was "Hotel California." Frey died of a series of severe infections.

In the 1980s, a modest singer from Ireland rose up the charts: Black, also known as Colin Vearncombe, shot up the German Top 20 with "Everything is Coming Up Roses." Black made his breakthrough with "Wonderful Life" - a melancholic yet somewhat sarcastic pop ballad describing how beautiful life can be when you're alone. He died following a car accident.

Next to Philipp Bailey, Maurice White was the main voice of Earth Wind & Fire. He led the soul and funk group's success from one hit to the next. White wrote songs like "Fantasy," "September," and "Boogie Wonderland." As a soloist, he celebrated success with "Stand By Me." He continued writing for the band even after separating from them - all the while suffering from Parkinson's disease.

Keith Emerson was the creative head of the band Emerson, Lake & Palmer (ELP). He loved to work with keyboards and synthesizers both on stage and in the studio. Next to ELP, he also worked with other rock and pop bands. Due to a neurological condition Emerson developed problems in his right hand, so he was no longer able to give concerts despite surgery. In the end, he committed suicide.

German jazz singer Roger Cicero died of an unexpected stroke in March. He had single-handedly catapulted the German language into the realm of swing, interpreting the "bigband sound" for modern times. He took part in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2007 and worked with German artists on various music projects over the years. Roger Cicero was also known for his commitment to social causes.

Prince mastered many different instruments, composed music and arranged his own tracks. His most famous hits include "Purple Rain" and "Kiss." Many other pop stars interpreted his songs, among them Chaka Khan, Sinead O'Connor and The Bangles. Prince's untimely death was reportedly caused by an accidental overdose of painkillers. The world lost one of its most recognized music icons.

Billy Paul worked with Charlie Parker and Nina Simone to become one of the greatest representatives of the Philadelphia sound - a style native to the Pennsylvanian city that combines violin, choirs, disco beat and soft-spoken soul voices, taking dance floors all over the world by storm during the 1970s. Billy Paul's most memorable hit was "Me And Mrs. Jones." Paul died of pancreatic cancer.

Last April, the Düsseldorf-based punk band Die Toten Hosen and their fans mourned former band member Wölli, who played drums for the the punk rockers. Wolfgang "Wölli" Rohde (left) performed with the band for almost 15 years. In the late 1990s, his health started to decline so he could no longer play on stage, and left the band. Rohde died of kidney cancer.

Following the death of guitarist Gert Krawinkel (right, 2014) the "Neue Deutsche Welle" band Trio lost yet another member, Peter Behrens (middle) who played the drums and was well known for his stern facial expression which would never change a bit - even when singer Stefan Remmler sang nonsense lyrics. Behrens died of a heart attack.

The dark, quiet, and almost broken voice of Canadian singer and poet Leonard Cohen will forever be associated with his broody hits like "So long Marianne," "Suzanne," and "Famous Blue Raincoat." His most famous song was the ballad "Hallelujah" which has been reinterpreted numerous times. Cohen once commented: "It's a good song. But it's sung by too many people." Cohen died after a fall.

The bassist, guitarist, singer and composer Greg Lake was first part of King Crimson before joining Emerson Lake & Palmer (ELP). With ELP, Lake contributed to creating the progressive rock sound of the 1970s. His best known song was "Lucky Man." Greg Lake died of cancer.

George Michael's untimely death came on Christmas, as music fans around the world could not believe that another legendary artist would be taken away from them. The former lead singer of Wham! sold more than 100 million albums as a soloist and introduced several unforgettable pop anthems into popular culture. Though his life was also marked by controversy, George Michael remained a hero to many.