Twitter alight with David Bowie tributes

The initial news of David Bowie's death was posted by his representatives on his official Facebook page on Monday morning just before 7:00 a.m., UK time. Regardless of time zone, the quick response of politicians, fans and celebrities alike bare testimony to the impact that David Bowie had not only on pop music, but on style and performance.

Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi from the Vatican's Council for Culture offered Bowie a particularly creative blessing via Twitter, referring to the fictional astronaut, Major Tom, from the song "Space Oddity."

Rap star Kanye West praised David Bowie for his creativity and magic, calling him an inspiration.

Bowie's most recent album, "Blackstar," released just last Friday (08.01.2015), was inspired in part of another star rapper, Kendrick Lamar, who has not yet commented.

From Germany, singer Max Raabe, who specializes in music of the 1920s and 30s, touched on David Bowie's strong connection to Berlin.

The German Foreign Office paid respects to the pop star, and even praised his contribution to bringing down the Berlin Wall. In 1987, Bowie performed in Berlin just prior to President Ronald Reagan's visit and sent wishes to the "other" side of the Wall before singing his hit, "Heroes." As the story goes, East Germans were heartened by the greeting. Whether Bowie actually helped bring the Wall down is subject to interpretation.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron was among the first to pay his respects. The pop star, who passed away after an 18-month battle with cancer, was an England native: He was born on January 8, 1947, in Brixton, London.

Reinvention is a theme that followed Bowie throughout his life. He not only adopted alter-egos, like the famous alien rock star "Ziggy Stardust" in the 1970s, he also redefined his own sexuality on multiple occasions over the years. Musically, Bowie was always known for altering his sound, with "Blackstar" - a detour into the world of jazz - as the latest (and last) example.

Though Bowie later said that he didn't feel he was a naturally talented performer, he will certainly be remembered as a fashion icon - particularly by Britain's "GQ" magazine:

Warner Music Ireland also highlighted Bowie's ever-evolving style with this colorful gif - originally created by @helengreen and shared by numerous accounts.

Author and historian Greg Jenner picked up on Bowie's preoccupation with the extraterrestrial and supernatural in his tweet, referencing not only Ziggy Stardust, Bowie's alien alter ego, but also songs like "Starman," "Life on Mars?" and even the latest single "Blackstar," also well as a number of films he acted in, including "The Man Who Fell to Earth" (1976).

There was no dearth of memes on Twitter on Monday, including this cartoon take on the genre in which David Bowie made a name for himself - glam rock -, with a nod to one of his greatest hits, "Heroes."