VIDEO : Madonna: 'David Bowie Changed the Course of My Life Forever'

Madonna, the Queen of Reinvention, penned a touching tribute to glam rock icon and new wave pop star David Bowie, who passed away at 69 after an 18-month battle with cancer. "I'm devastated," Madonna wrote, thanking him for having such a profound impact on her career. " David Bowie changed the course of my life forever. I never felt like I fit in growing up in Michigan. Like an oddball or a freak. I went to see him in concert at Cobo Arena in Detroit," Madonna wrote, adding that Bowie was her first concert. "I already had many of his records and was so inspired by the way he played with gender confusion. Was both masculine and feminine. Funny and serious. Clever and wise. His lyrics were witty ironic and mysterious." Similar to the chameleonic Bowie, Madonna similarly patterned her ever-changing stage personas after the "Ziggy Stardust" and "Thin White Duke." "I saw how he created a persona and used different art forms within the arena of rock and roll to create entertainment," she wrote. "I found him so inspiring and innovative. Unique and provocative. A real genius."