Swedish EDM DJ Tim Bergling, known as Avicii onstage, was found dead today at 28-years-old.
The shocking news was announced by the DJ’s publicist, Diana Baron, this afternoon in Oman. It is unclear at this time what exactly happened.
“It is with profound sorrow that we announce the loss of Tim Bergling, also known as Avicii,” the statement reads. “He was found dead in Muscat, Oman this Friday afternoon local time, April 20th. The family is devastated and we ask everyone to please respect their need for privacy in this difficult time. No further statements will be given.”
Avicii unfortunately had health issues in the past. He suffered from acute pancreatitis due partially from drinking, the Hollywood Reporter states. In 2014, he had to cancel a series of shows to let himself recover, and in 2016 he officially stopped touring, yet still continued to make music in the studio.
He told the Hollywood Reporter in 2016 that his journey as a music artist has been “crazy.”
“I started producing when I was 16,” Avicii told The Hollywood Reporter. “I started touring when I was 18. From that point on, I just jumped into 100 percent.When I look back on my life, I think: whoa, did I do that? It was the best time of my life in a sense. It came with a price – a lot of stress a lot of anxiety for me – but it was the best journey of my life.”
Additionally, he told Rolling Stone that it’s “very easy to become too attached to partying,” claiming, “you become lonely and get anxieties. It becomes toxic.” Avicci described his success as something that wasn’t giving him happiness anymore and he needed to figure out his life.
Just a few days ago, Avicii was nominated for a Billboard Music Award for top dance/electric album. In the past, he earned two MTV Music Awards, a Billboard Music Award and two Grammy nominations.
Avicii will be forever remembered as one of the best touring EDM DJs in the industry. He hit success with his 2011 track “Levels” which went platinum in the U.S. Other jam-worthy hits like “Wake Me Up” off his 2013 record True and 2015’s “Waiting for Love” from Stories catapulted his career even further into stardom.
His latest release was a handful of mixes for the song “Lonely Together,” which featured British singer Rita Ora on the track. Additionally, he was a collaborator, working with artists like Coldplay, Madonna, and Daft Punk.
He released the following statement on his website last year:
“WE ALL REACH A POINT IN OUR LIVES AND CAREERS WHERE WE UNDERSTAND WHAT MATTERS THE MOST TO US. For me it’s creating music. That is what I live for, what I feel I was born to do.”
With 17 million listeners on Spotify, more than 500 millions streams on his songs, and a huge EDM fan base, his music will still live on.
