Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption The DJ will be remembered for club hits like Levels, Wake Me Up and Hey Brother
Swedish DJ Avicii, one of the world's biggest dance music stars, has died in Oman at the age of 28.
Avicii's club anthems include Wake Me Up, Levels, and recently, Lonely Together with Rita Ora.
His representative said in a statement: "It is with profound sorrow that we announce the loss of Tim Bergling, also known as Avicii.
"The family is devastated and we ask everyone to please respect their need for privacy in this difficult time."
No cause of death was announced, and Avicii's representative said no further statements would be issued.
Image copyright Muscat Hills Resort Image caption One of the last pictures of Avicii (centre), at a tourist resort near Muscat
The electronic dance music (EDM) star, who reportedly made $250,000 (£180,000) a night on tour, had struggled with some health issues in the past, having his gall bladder and appendix removed in 2014.
He announced his retirement from touring in 2016, partly because of the health problems.
"I know I am blessed to be able to travel all around the world and perform, but I have too little left for the life of a real person behind the artist," he said at the time.
Who was Avicii?
One of the biggest names in dance music of the last 10 years, he had a catalogue full of pumping, uplifting, house smashes
He started his career when he won a production competition held by Pete Tong in 2008
He went on to notch up 11 billion streams on Spotify and was the first EDM DJ to stage a worldwide arena tour
He was nominated for two Grammy Awards and had nine UK top 10 singles, including two number ones
He suffered from health problems including acute pancreatitis, in part due to excessive drinking
He later announced a return to the studio, and released a new self-titled EP in 2017.
The EP, Avĩci (01), was nominated for a Billboard music award for top electronic album just days before his death.
As well as working with the likes of Aloe Blacc and Rita Ora, Avicii collaborated with artists including Madonna and Coldplay.
Former Radio 1 DJ Judge Jules, who often performed alongside him, said his biggest achievement was being the first electronic dance star to break America.
"He was the first huge commercial star," Judge Jules told the BBC. "He really became someone who couldn't go out on the street, he was so heavily recognised."
Other leading electronic artists wrote tributes to Bergling after the news of his death.
Skip Twitter post by @CalvinHarris 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 — Calvin Harris (@CalvinHarris) April 20, 2018 Report
Skip Twitter post by @deadmau5 my sincerest and most heartfelt condolences to the friends, fans and families of @Avicii :( Banter aside, nobody can deny what he has accomplished and done for modern dance music and im very proud of him. — Goat lord (@deadmau5) April 20, 2018 Report
Singer Dua Lipa tweeted: "Such sad news to hear about Avicii passing. Too young and way too soon. My condolences go out to his family, friends and fans."
US band Imagine Dragons tweeted: "Working with him was one of my favourite collaborative moments. Far too young. The world was a happier and fuller place with his presence and art."
"No words can describe the sadness I'm feeling right now, hearing about Avicii passing away," offered DJ Zedd, while singer Adam Lambert, who collaborated on the track Lay Me Down, called him "a brilliant composer and a gentle spirit."
An enchanting artist
Analysis by Mark Savage, BBC Music reporter
At Avicii's last ever show in August 2016, one crazed fan climbed a 100ft-high (30m) scaffolding tower, just to get a better view.
That's not something that happens that often during a DJ set (who needs to see the stage anyway?) but it was a testament to Avicii's ability to enchant an audience.
Confetti cannons and bass drops aside, his shows encapsulated the inclusive, everyone-welcome philosophy that led him to collaborate with Coldplay, Nile Rodgers and Antony Hegarty as well as bluegrass and metal musicians in the studio.
That final show, at Ushuaia Ibiza, was a two-hour greatest hits set, featuring crowd pleasers like Levels and Wake Me Up alongside his remixes of Robyn and Dizzee Rascal.
But the DJ, who famously let the cat out of the bag when he revealed most major DJs pre-programmed their sets (comments he later walked back), was also known for dropping unexpected, whimsical tracks into his performances. A bit of Smokey Robinson here; a dash of Chicago there.
He approached it all with an energy and optimism that permeated his own recordings. It's no surprise he was one of the most beloved DJs on the circuit.
Avicii in his own words
To Billboard Magazine 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"
Post-retirement on his website: "[Creating music], that is what I live for, what I feel I was born to do... The next stage will be all about my love of making music to you guys. It is the beginning of something new."
Prelude to music video for hit The Nights: "When I was 16, my father said, 'You can do anything you want with your life, you just have to be willing to work hard to get it.' That's when I decided when I die, I want to be remembered for the life I live, not the money I make."
Are you an Avicii fan? Did you meet him or go to one of his gigs? Tell us about it by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
You can also contact us in the following ways:
Image copyright Reuters
Artists have been paying tribute to Avicii, who has died suddenly in Oman.
It's not yet known how the Swedish DJ died, but two years ago he announced his retirement after suffering from health problems.
Rita Ora, who he recently collaborated with on the track Lonely Together, tweeted that she had "no words" after hearing the news.
Diplo posted that Avicii's music will "live forever", writing that he "set the precedent" for other producers.
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption The DJ will be remembered for club hits like Levels, Wake Me Up and Hey Brother
Radio 1 presenter Annie Mac began her Friday evening show paying tribute to Avicii, saying it's a "massive loss for dance music" and that it was "absolutely devastating news".
Skip Twitter post by @RitaOra I have no words. I remember how amazing it was to make Lonely Together and it felt like just yesterday we were talking. Condolences to Avicii's family, friends, and the fans who supported him. May he rest in peace. Gone too soon. I’m devastated. Heartbroken. — Rita Ora (@RitaOra) April 20, 2018 Report
It's known that the 28-year-old has been suffering from pancreatitis, reportedly caused by heavy drinking.
He once said in an interview: "Drinking became routine for me, but it's impossible to keep up touring and drinking at the same time, because you are going to crash."
The electronic dance music (EDM) star reportedly made $250,000 (£180,000) a night on tour.
Image copyright Muscat Hills Resort Image caption One of the last pictures of Avicii (centre), at a tourist resort near Muscat
It was after Avicii's, real name Tim Bergling, 2011 hit Levels that he achieved worldwide acclaim.
During his career he notched up 11 billion streams on Spotify and was the first EDM DJ to stage a worldwide arena tour, as nominated for two Grammy Awards and had nine UK top 10 singles, including two number ones.
American musician Skrillex remixed that song and posted online that he was "a genius and an innovator, yet sensitive and humble".
Other artists posting messages online include Martin Garrix, Liam Payne, Madonna, Dua Lipa, Calvin Harris and Deadmau5.
Skip Twitter post by @CalvinHarris 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 — Calvin Harris (@CalvinHarris) April 20, 2018 Report
Skip Twitter post by @deadmau5 my sincerest and most heartfelt condolences to the friends, fans and families of @Avicii :( Banter aside, nobody can deny what he has accomplished and done for modern dance music and im very proud of him. — Goat lord (@deadmau5) April 20, 2018 Report
In 2016 Avicii announced he was retiring from touring, after health complications, but it's thought it's something he didn't really enjoy.
Nicky Romero, who collaborated with Avicii on I Could Be The One, said: "He was more of the musician in the studio than the guy that wants to be on stage, tour the world.
"I never really thought that he was super enjoying his DJ sets. It felt like he wanted to do it but he didn't want to feel the pressure of it or be the guy that's in the spotlight in front of thousands and thousands of people."
Radio 1 presenter Danny Howard said it was a "great loss to music".
Skip Twitter post by @dannyhowarddj So so upsetting to hear about Avicii. Far too young to go and such a talent who took risks that defined his massively successful career! A great loss to Music 😢😢 RIP Tim 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/RaYbQp86Jc — Danny Howard (@dannyhowarddj) April 20, 2018 Report
Pete Tong said he was "a major influence in opening up mainstream USA to electronic dance music".
Skip Twitter post by @petetong Sad to hear of @Avicii passing. From humble beginnings went onto conquer the world was a major influence in opening up mainstream USA to electronic dance music. For him it was always about the music not the circus . May his spirit and soul find peace. Way too young x — Pete Tong mbe (@petetong) April 20, 2018 Report
Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 every weekday on BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra - if you miss us you can listen back here.
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.
_____
AP writers Mark Kennedy, Jon Gambrell and David Keyton contributed to this report.
Swedish-born producer and DJ Avicii, real name Tim Bergling, died Friday, April 20th, 2018, as confirmed by his publicist Diana Baron. His death comes just days after his 2017 EP, Avīci (01), was nominated for a Billboard Music Award for top dance/electronic album.
“It is with profound sorrow that we announce the loss of Tim Bergling, also known as Avicii,” Baron said in an issued 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.”
Born in Stockholm, Sweden, Bergling initially honed his artistic style as a participant in the Laidback Luke forum, an online space where many budding dance artists would post music to give and receive feedback on work. In May 2007, Avicii signed with label Dejfitts Plays, and in 2010, released his first hit single, “Seek Bromance,” which reached top 20 status in countries like Belgium, France, the Netherlands, the UK, and his home country of Sweden.
Bergling’s global breakthrough came in 2011 with “Levels,” a song that reached the top 10 in countries like Germany and the Netherlands, and topped charts in Sweden. Shortly after, his collaboration with David Guetta, “Sunshine,” was nominated for Best Dance Recording at the 54th Grammy Awards. A year later, he earned his second Grammy nomination in the same category for “Levels.”
In 2013, Bergling released his debut album, #TRUE, featuring lead single “Wake Me Up” with Aloe Blacc. The album was more experimental than Bergling’s previous works, incorporating elements from other types of music like country and bluegrass. At the time, he said dance music was “half stuck” and needed disruption. “This is about me being true to my sound but also to my own influences and musical preferences,” Bergling told Billboard. “This album consists 100 percent of songs I personally love. It’s true to me, true to my brand, true to Avicii.”
That year, Bergling won his first awards: an MTV EMA for Best Electronic Act and an American Music Award for favorite Electronic Dance Music Artist. He went on to release several more high-profile songs, including the official FIFA World Cup anthem titled “Dar um Jeito (We Will Find a Way).” Bergling’s second album, 2015’s Stories, followed in suit with the genre-bending fashion of #TRUE, featuring collaborators like Chris Martin, Brandon Flowers, and Wyclef Jean. In 2017, Bergling released six-track EP Avīci (01), telling Pete Tong on BBC Radio 1 he intended for it to be the first of three parts for his next studio album.
Bergling struggled with several health issues in the past, partly in relation to excessive drinking. In 2012, he had been hospitalized for 11 days with acute pancreatitis. At Miami Music Week in 2014, the SLS Hotel in Miami Beach was rebranded as the Avicii Hotel, but Bergling was unable to see it, rushed to the hospital for severe abdominal pains, nausea, and a fever from a blocked gallbladder. He canceled a series of shows in order to recover, and later had his gallbladder and appendix removed.
In 2016, Bergling announced his retirement from touring. Avicii: True Stories, a career-spanning documentary dropped a year later; the film follows his rise, fall, and medical problems, acting as “a cautionary tale that explores the taxing nature and intensity of fame.” Bergling said the 2017 film “is kind of gritty sometimes. It’s very personal. There’s a lot of ups and downs.”
In an interview with Rolling Stone last year about his decision to retire, he said, “The whole thing was about success for the sake of success. I wasn’t getting any happiness anymore.”
