Swedish DJ Avicii, born Tim Bergling, passed away on Friday April 20th at the age of 28. Avicii is known for his EDM hits such as Wake Me Up and Hey Brother which topped charts all over the world. His publicist Diana Baron released a statement saying, “”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.”
Bergling began his musical journey in the late 2000s and in 2011, he gained an international audience with his hit track “Levels” which was Number 1 in Sweden, on the U.S. Billboard Dance Club Songs chart, and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Dance Recording. In 2012, he collaborated with French DJ David Guetta on another hit “Sunshine” which scored another Grammy nomination.
Guetta commented on the death of his friend in an Instagram post saying, “We lost a friend with such a beautiful heart and the world lost an incredibly talented musician. Thank you for your beautiful melodies, the time we shared in the studio, playing together as djs or just enjoying life as friends. RIP.” The next day Guetta was performing in Las Vegas and paid tribute to his beloved friend by playing his international hit “Wake Me Up.”
Not only did Avicii touch the lives of many, he paved the way for many electronic DJs and producers. In 2012, he became the first to headline New York City’s storied Radio City Music Hall. The next year, he continued his success by releasing his debut studio album True which featured “Wake Me Up” ft Aloe Blacc which became a No. 1 hit in many countries and peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Avicii continued to collaborate with other artists in his second album Stories and in 2017, he and Rita Ora released another chart topper “Lonely Together.”
Avicii’s fame brought love and support from the world but also health issues. In 2014, he He suffered from acute pancreatitis, in part due to excessive drinking. In 2014, he canceled numerous shows in order to recover after having his gallbladder and appendix removed. In March of 2016, he announced that he had to retire from touring explaining “I have too little left for the life of a real person behind the artist” in a letter to fans.
Avicii’s legacy will continue to live on in the music industry as a pioneer of EDM. His impact has been shown through the world in the past few days from Cathedral bells in the Dutch town of Utrecht played some of Avicii’s most popular songs to thousands of fans filling the streets of Stockholm to pay tribute to him.
