When rock star and entertainer David Bowie died on Sunday, the UK press went into overdrive, with front pages and television dominated by the news, probably the most coverage given to the death of a musician since former Beatle John Lennon was shot dead in New York in 1980.

Bowie's demise from cancer two days after his 69th birthday even made the front page of the Financial Times, the austere UK daily which normally focuses on business, economics and politics.

Why?