DJ Avicii dead at 28
Swedish producer and DJ Tim Bergling, better known by his stage name Avicii, died this afternoon in Muscat, Oman, at the age of 28.
At this time, details surrounding his sudden death are unconfirmed. Over the years, he suffered from various health problems, such as acute pancreatitis, due in part to excessive drinking. In 2014, he had his gall bladder and appendix removed, and in 2016, he retired from touring.
“It is with profound sorrow that we announce the loss of Tim Bergling, also known as Avicii," said his publicist in a statement. "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 broke into fame with the smash hit "Levels," as well as the hits "Wake Me Up" and "Hey Brother." He was one of the biggest names in dance music, and one of the few DJ's popular enough to tour in arenas worldwide. On Spotify, he has over 11 billion streams. In 2014, he earned a massive $28 million from touring alone. Also, he was considered a pioneer of today's electronic dance movement.
Avicii's work won two MTV Music Awards, one Billboard Music Award and two Grammy nominations. Just days before his death, his 2017 EP "Avicii (01)" was nominated for a Billboard Music Award for top dance/electronic album. His final tweet thanked Billboard for the nomination.
Last year Avicii posted this statement on his website, announcing he was done performing live, but not done creating music.
"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.
Last year I quit performing live, and many of you thought that was it. But the end of live never meant the end of Avicii or my music. Instead, I went back to the place where it all made sense – the studio.
The next stage will be all about my love of making music to you guys. It is the beginning of something new.
Hope you'll enjoy it as much as I do."
Avicii's final Instagram post was posted two weeks ago: a photo of his home in California. The caption read, "It's always sunny in California."
Over leading electronic artists have posted tributes to Avicii on Twitter. Calvin Harris described him as "a beautiful soul, passionate and extremely talented with so much more to do." deadmo5 tweeted, "nobody can deny what he has accomplished and done for modern dance music and im very proud of him." And singer Dua Lipa tweeted, "Too young and way too soon. My condolences go out to his family, friends and fans."
Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time. Rest in peace.