He was nominated for two Grammy Awards for best dance recording, in 2012 and 2013, and his most well-known song, “Wake Me Up,” reached the No. 4 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart.
He also released two albums: the platinum “True,” in 2013, and “Stories,” in 2015. Both “Levels” and “Wake Me Up” were certified platinum; the singles “Waiting for Love,” “The Nights,” “You Make Me” and “I Could Be the One” — a collaboration with Nicky Romero — went gold.
His most recent release was the 2017 EP “Avīci (01),” a six-track collection that was intended to be the first in a series of three EPs.
The songs on “True” frequently blended folk instruments with dance beats. “Wake Me Up,” a song that lingered on the Hot 100 for more than a year, featured soulful vocals from Aloe Blacc singing about the lessons of youth:
So wake me up when it’s all over,
When I’m wiser and I’m older,
All this time I was finding myself, and I
Didn’t know I was lost.
On his recordings Avicii teamed up with a wide range of musicians, including the bluegrass artist Dan Tyminski, the country-rock singer Zac Brown, the glam-pop vocalist Adam Lambert and the rapper-singer Wyclef Jean.
He produced music for Madonna and Coldplay and became one of the highest paid D.J.s. In 2015, Forbes ranked him as the world’s sixth-highest-paid D.J., estimating his annual earnings at $19 million.
Image copyright Reuters Image caption DJ Avicii - real name Tim Bergling - died on Friday, his representative announced
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.
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.
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
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.
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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 DJ/producer 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.”
Avicii's Health Struggles: A Timeline
Swedish DJ and producer Avicii was just 28 when he was found dead on Friday (April 20). He had long suffered from health issues, undergoing hospitalizations and forced set cancellations until he retired from touring in 2016.
His music will be his legacy, a life dedicated to spreading joy through major chords and uplifting rhythms that exponentially grew electronic dance music's popularity worldwide. He was an instrumental inspiration to many of today's brightest stars, and he struggled all the while.
Today, we take a closer look at his health history.
January 2012: Avicii Is Hospitalized in New York for 11 Days
Avicii's health issues began in January 2012, when the DJ and producer was hospitalized in New York City with acute pancreatitis, a side-effect of heavy drinking. He was in the hospital for 11 days.
March 2013: Avicii Is Urged to Remove His Gallbladder
About a year after his incident in New York City, Avicii was again sent to the hospital for similar issues while on tour in Australia. Doctors urged Avicii to undergo gallbladder removal surgery, but the producer declined, choosing instead to continue working on his debut LP True. The album was released in September of that year and peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 and topped the Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart for six weeks.
March 28, 2014: Avicii Is Hospitalized in Miami
Though the media reported that Avicii had stopped drinking, his issues flared seven days after he released a remix version of his LP True, featuring his own remixes of the album's tracks. Avicii was hospitalized in Miami for a blocked gallbladder and was forced to cancel scheduled performances at the SLS Hotel, which had undergone a complete Avicii takeover, and his headlining set at Ultra Music Festival. Alesso took his spot at SLS, while rival deadmau5 took his slot at Ultra. Avicii blamed the reaction on his nonstop tour schedule.
"My fans know that I have had issues in the past with my stomach and pancreatitis," he wrote on social media. "I woke up on Wednesday morning with serious pain but I flew to Miami anyway, hoping that it would go away. The pain was still there when I landed so I went straight to hospital. I was treated and left later that night. Unfortunately, the pain came back yesterday afternoon and I returned to the hospital where they admitted me to stay overnight."
In the hospital, he learned that not only had his pancreatitis returned, but his appendix has burst. He underwent surgery to have his appendix and gallbladder removed, though he returned to touring as soon as possible.
September 8, 2014: Avicii Cancels All Performances
Six months after his surgery, Avicii continued to suffer from lingering health issues and was forced to cancel all forthcoming performances, including his headlining slot at TomorrowWorld, Las Vegas residencies at XS and Encore Beach Club, and a scheduled Asian tour in October.
September 2, 2015: Avicii Postpones All Performances for the Year
In May 2015, he broke his musical silence with a new song and video called "Feeling Good," but four months later, he once again was forced to postpone all the year's remaining performances. Representatives cited the pressures of finalizing his sophomore album Stories, released a month later, and his directorial debut on music videos for "For a Better Day" and "Pure Grinding." His team also promised a larger tour to come.
“I look forward to keep being innovative with my team in leading a bigger change than just with my music," Avicii was quoted. "In moving my tour promotional responsibilities to next year, I have a great opportunity to focus on myself and spend time trying to grow up in a way I never got the chance to -- normal, or as normal as it could get. My team, label and family have encouraged me to do that and I realize not many in my position get that opportunity."
March 29, 2016: Avicii Announces His Plan to Retire From the Road
After a creative road trip with friends, during which he wrote many new songs that would appear on his 2017 EP Avīci (01), the producer and DJ announced that he planned to retire from touring indefinitely. The news was shocking in the wake of his triumphant return to Ultra Music Festival. He noted his struggles with life on the road, his introverted nature and desire to spend more time creating in the studio. He thanked his fans, family, peers, partners and longtime manger Arash "Ash" Pournouri for their support and promised a final tour as a farewell to fans.
"My choices and career have never been driven by material things, although I’m grateful for all the opportunities and comforts my success has availed me," he wrote. "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. I will however never let go of music -- I will continue to speak to my fans through it, but I’ve decided this 2016 run will be my last tour and last shows. Let’s make them go out with a bang!"
August 28, 2016: Avicii Plays His Last Show
He capped nearly a decade of touring with a final performance at Ushuaïa Ibiza Beach Hotel, thanking fans and friends on social media for their support in his decision. The final tour was depicted in the documentary Avicii: True Stories, released more than a year later in September 2017.
April 20, 2018: Avicii Is Found Dead
Avicii's team confirmed that the producer was found dead Friday morning (April 20) while in Muscat, Oman. The cause of death has yet to be reported. Despite his struggles, artists and fans remember him as an influential beacon of creativity and positivity.
