David Bowie wanted to "go without any fuss" and was secretly cremated with no family or friends present.

For many, David Bowie was larger than life.

But he chose for himself a modest ending.

The music legend, who died on January 10 after a private 18-month battle with cancer, told his loved ones he wanted to “go without any fuss”.

He was reportedly secretly cremated shortly after he died without any of his family or friends present.

“There is no public or private service or a public memorial. There is nothing,” a New York-based source told The Mirror.

Since his death, there was speculation about the showman’s plans for his final send-off.

But he reportedly made clear to his family – 60-year-old wife, Iman, and two children – that he wanted a quiet goodbye.

He wanted only to be remembered for his music and the good times he shared with family and friends.

“In many respects you don’t need a memorial or service to remember David by… you have his music instead,” the US source said.

“He would have wanted to just disappear with no fuss, no big show, no fanfare. This would totally be his style.

“His last album Blackstar was very much his goodbye to fans instead.”

His final album was released just two days before he died, on his 69th birthday.

While he did not want a funeral, a number of memorial concerts and tributes have been planned to remember the beloved musician.

And Bowie’s fans are certainly remembering him the way he wanted, with six of his albums making the top ten on the Australian iTunes chart, including Blackstar at number one.

Watch Bowie’s final music video, Lazarus: