Artist, DJ, and producer Tim Bergling, a.k.a. Avicii, died Friday afternoon in Oman, according to a statement from his rep. He was 28.
“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.”
One of the most popular and successful electronic dance-music artists of all time — he scored a No. 4 hit on the Billboard 200 in 2013 with “Wake Me Up” regularly appeared in the Top 5 of Forbes’ “Highest-Paid DJs” lists — he retired from live performing in 2016 at the peak of his success, citing health reasons. He had suffered from health problems for several years, including acute pancreatitis, in part due to excessive drinking. He had his gallbladder and appendix removed in 2014.
He posted 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.
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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.”
Bergling was born in Stockholm on Sept. 8, 1989. He began DJing as a teenager and released his first single in 2007. He released a large number of singles and remixes in the following years and rapidly built a reputation as a live act. He broke through with his 2010 hit “Seek Bromance,” which charted in several European countries; he signed a publishing deal with EMI the same year. He explained his chosen DJ name as “the lowest level of Buddhist hell,” chosen because his real name was already being used by another Tim Bergling on MySpace.
His 2011 single “Levels,” which was later nominated for a Grammy Award, vaulted him into the mainstream, charting in multiple European countries and topping the chart in his native Sweden. “Sunshine,” his 2012 collaboration with David Guetta, was nominated for a Grammy for best dance recording. In September of that year, he became the first DJ to headline New York’s prestigious Radio City Music Hall; at those two shows, he previewed a new song with Mike Posner titled “Stay with You.”
His proper debut album, “True,” was released on September 2013, much of which was previewed during his headlining set at the Ultra Music Festival earlier that year. The album featured “Wake Me Up,” a collaboration with Aloe Blacc, which topped the charts in multiple countries across the world and was No. 1 for a record 14 weeks on Billboard’s Dance/Electronic Songs chart; it was also the U.K.’s fastest-selling single of 2013. Other singers on the album included Adam Lambert and Audra Mae. He also worked with Madonna during this period and contributed to two songs on her 2015 album “Rebel Heart,” although both parties seemed unhappy with the collaboration and Avicii said the final versions were quite different from his demos.
The extent of his popularity was reflected in a 2014 “Saturday Night Live” digital short called “When Will the Bass Drop?,” with comic Andy Samberg playing a fictional mega-DJ named “Davvincii” (although he was made up to look more like David Guetta).
However, as his popularity rose, his health declined. He was hospitalized in March 2014 and cancelled several tour appearances; not long after, he collaborated with Carlos Santana and Wyclef on the official FIFA World Cut Anthem “We Will Find a Way.” Also that year, he produced a song on Coldplay’s album “Ghost Stories.” He released his second full-length album, “Stories,” in October 2015.
In March of 2016, he performed at the Ultra Music Festival, premiering new material, but 10 days later announced that he was retiring from performing. He made a final live appearance in August in Ibiza. In December, he parted ways with longtime manager Ash Pournouri.
In August of 2017 he released a six-track EP entitled “Avici,” which he said was the first of three installments that would be his next album. He followed a month later with a full-length documentary called “True Stories,” which was largely about his retirement. In it, promoters are seen trying to convince him to continue touring, even though he’s in obvious physical pain. “I looked at myself like, ‘F—, you should’ve really stood up for yourself more there. Come on, Tim!,'” he said of the documentary to Rolling Stone in an interview published last September. “Why didn’t I stop the ship earlier?”
“I needed to figure out my life,” he continued. “The whole thing was about success for the sake of success. I wasn’t getting any happiness anymore. Now that I have more time in the studio, I want to learn as much about other genres as possible. That’s what I love the most – having a session with Nile Rodgers, for instance, and getting an understanding of music that’s invaluable.”
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Swedish DJ Avicii has died in Muscat, Oman, at the age of 28.
His representative said in a statement: “It is with profound sorrow that we announce the loss of Tim Bergling, also known as Avicii. He was found dead in Muscat, Oman, this Friday afternoon local time, 20 April.
“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.”
DJ Calvin Harris tweeted: “Devastating news about Avicii, a beautiful soul, passionate and extremely talented with so much more to do. My heart goes out to his family. God bless you Tim x.”
In an Instagram post, Diplo called him “a real groundbreaker and influencer to all your peers” while Deadmau5 tweeted: “nobody can deny what he has accomplished and done for modern dance music and im very proud of him.”
In 2016, Avicii retired from live performing due to health reasons, having suffered from acute pancreatitis owing, in part, to excessive drinking. In 2014, his gallbladder and appendix had been removed.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Avicii performs at the Summerburst music festival at Ullevi stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden. Photograph: Bjorn Larsson Rosvall/AFP/Getty Images
A documentary about the DJ’s career, Avicii: True Stories, was released last autumn, chronicling his final world tour and his health struggles. It features peers such as the DJs Tiesto and David Guetta, as well as musicians Chris Martin and Nile Rodgers. “Everybody knows Avicii but very few people know Tim,” said director Levan Tsikurishvili. “I think this documentary really shows Tim’s struggle and strength of character.”
Avicii last released new music in 2017, with his six-track EP Avīci (01). The album was nominated for a Billboard music award in the category of top dance/electronic album. In his most recent tweet, sent out on 17 April, Avicii thanked Billboard for the nomination.
He was best known for hit songs Wake Me Up and Levels, both of which reached No 1 on the Billboard list of top dance club songs. Twice-nominated for a Grammy award for best dance recording, Avicii’s debut album True, released in 2013, madethe top 10 in 10 different countries.
The DJ, who was born in Stockholm, was regularly ranked in the top five of Forbes’ list of highest-paid DJs before his retirement. In 2012, he became the first electronic musician to headline New York’s esteemed Radio City Music Hall.
In a 2017 interview with Rolling Stone, Avicii reflected on his decision to stop touring, explaining how multiple hospitalizations and life on the road began to take their toll. “None of us today can fucking handle our emotions – most of us are running around being reactive,” he said.
“That’s why I had to stop touring, because I couldn’t read my emotions the right way. The whole thing was about success for the sake of success. I wasn’t getting any happiness anymore.”
Swedish DJ Avicii Dead at 28
Swedish DJ Avicii, real name Tim Bergling, died at age 28 on Friday, April 20, his publicist confirmed.
"It is with profound sorrow that we announce the loss of Tim Bergling, also known as Avicii," his publicist Diana Baron said 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."
Bergling started out releasing music on Laidback Luke Forum in the late '00s, where DJs and producers would post music and seek feedback from budding peers. In 2011, he broke through to an international audience with the progressive house track "Levels," which hit No. 1 in his native Sweden and on the U.S. Billboard Dance Club Songs chart -- and earned him a Grammy nod. His 2012 David Guetta collab "Sunshine" earned him a Grammy nomination as well, and that same year, he became the first electronic artist to headline New York City's storied Radio City Music Hall.
In 2013, Avicii released his debut studio album, True, which featured the game-changing, massive international hit "Wake Me Up!" ft. Aloe Blacc. Combining EDM, folk and country music, the song became a No. 1 hit in many countries and peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. His second album, Stories, dropped in 2015 and featured vocals from Chris Martin, Wyclef Jean, Robbie Williams, Matisyahu, Brandon Flowers, Gavin DeGraw and more. The EP Avīci (01) came out in Aug. 2017 and featured his Rita Ora collaboration "Lonely Together."
Avicii's health issues were known to the public for several years prior to his death. 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.
Eventually, he decided to retire from touring entirely in an emotional letter penned in March 2016.
“To me it was something I had to do for my health,” Bergling told The Hollywood Reporter in 2016. “The scene was not for me. It was not the shows and not the music. It was always the other stuff surrounding it that never came naturally to me. All the other parts of being an artist. I'm more of an introverted person in general. It was always very hard for me. I took on board too much negative energy, I think.”
New York (AP) -- Avicii, the Grammy-nominated electronic dance DJ who performed sold-out concerts for feverish fans around the world and also had massive success on U.S. pop radio, died Friday. He was 28.
Publicist Diana Baron said in a statement that the Swedish performer, born Tim Bergling, was found dead in Muscat, Oman.
"It is with profound sorrow that we announce the loss of Tim Bergling, also known as Avicii," the statement read. "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."
No more details about the death were provided. Oman police and state media had no immediate report late Friday night on the artist's death.
Avicii was an international pop star, performing his well-known electronic dance songs around the world for die-hard fans, sometimes hundreds of thousands at music festivals, where he was the headline act. His popular sound even sent him to the top of the charts and landed onto U.S. radio: His most recognized song, the country-dance mashup "Wake Me Up," was a multi-platinum success and peaked at No. 4 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. On the dance charts, he had seven Top 10 hits.
But in 2016, the performer announced he was retiring from the road. He continued to produce songs and albums.
Avicii was part of the wave of DJ-producers, like David Guetta, Calvin Harris and Swedish House Mafia, who broke out on the scene as lead performers in their own right, earning international hits, fame, awards and more like typical pop stars.
Avicii earned his first Grammy nomination at the 2012 show — for a collaboration with Guetta. It was around the time he gained more fame for the Etta James-sampled dance jam, "Le7els," which reached No. 1 in Sweden.
He continued to collaborate with more high-profile acts, producing Madonna's "Devil Pray" and the Coldplay hits, "A Sky Full of Stars" and "Hymn for the Weekend." He was even part of Mike Posner's megahit "I Took a Pill in Ibiza," which featured the lyrics: "I took a pill in Ibiza/To show Avicii I was cool." The song was based off Posner's true story at an Avicii concert in Ibiza.
Avicii built a strong musical and personal friendship with Nile Rodgers, who called Avicii his "little brother" in an interview with The Associated Press on Friday.
"I'm shocked because I don't know medically what happened, but I can just say as a person, as a friend, and more importantly, as a musician, Tim was one of the greatest, natural melody writers I've ever worked with, and I've worked with some of the most brilliant musicians on this planet," Rodgers said.
Avicii had in the past suffered acute pancreatitis, in part due to excessive drinking. After having his gallbladder and appendix removed in 2014, he canceled a series of shows in attempt to recover.
"It's been a very crazy journey. I started producing when I was 16. I started touring when I was 18. From that point on, I just jumped into 100 percent," Avicii told The Hollywood Reporter in 2016. "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."
Rodgers said his last performance with Avicii — about three years ago — upset him because of Avicii's drinking.
"It was a little bit sad to me because he had promised me he would stop drinking, and when I saw him he was drunk that night. And I was like, 'Whoa. Dude. C'mon. What are you doing? What's going on? You said that that was done,'" Rodgers recalled. "We did a show and I was a little upset. I didn't even stick around for his performance because it was breaking my heart. But we still had a great time. It was wonderful — we were that close."
Last year, Avicii posted this message on his website, promising to keep creating: "The next stage will be all about my love of making music to you guys. It is the beginning of something new."
Fans and members of the music community mourned his death on social media Friday.
"Something really horrible happened. We lost a friend with such a beautiful heart and the world lost an incredibly talented musician," Guetta wrote on Instagram. "Thank you for your beautiful melodies, the time we shared in the studio, playing together as djs or just enjoying life as friends. RIP @avicii."
Calvin Harris called Avicii "a beautiful soul, passionate and extremely talented with so much more to do." Ellie Goulding wrote that Avicii "inspired so many of us. Wish I could have said that to you in person."
Sweden's Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia , who knew Avicii from playing at their wedding, said they were saddened by his death.
"We are grateful that we got to know him and admired him as an artist and the great person he was. He made our wedding unforgettable with his amazing music. Our warmest thoughts go to his family," they said in a joint statement.
Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven called the lost star "one of Sweden's biggest musicians".
Avicii, a two-time Grammy nominee, won two MTV Europe Music Awards and one Billboard Music Award. His death comes just days after he was nominated for a 2018 Billboard Music Award for top dance/electronic album for his EP "Avicii (01)."
Avicii is the subject of the 2017 Levan Tsikurishvil documentary "Avicii: True Stories."
Muscat, where Avicii died, is the capital of the sultanate on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a popular vacation destination on the Arabian Sea.
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AP writers Mark Kennedy, Jon Gambrell and David Keyton contributed to this report.
