Today the EDM world is mourning the loss of Swedish DJ and Producer Avicii, real name
Tim Bergling -- who at the age of 28 was found dead. In a statement,
his publicist confirmed the news saying, "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, 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."
In 2011, Avicii's breakthrough came internationally 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. The following year, 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 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 reached No. 1 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 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, and
in a 2016 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he said: “To me it was something I had to do for
my health. 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.
I'm more of an introverted person in general. It was always very hard for me."
Avicii's dance music peers and admirers, have been taking to social media
all day to express their grief.
Calvin Harris tweeted out his devastation over the news, adding that the legendary producer
was "a beautiful soul, [who was] passionate and extremely talented with so much more to do."
Dance heavyweight Kaskade expressed his sorrow, tweeting, "Avicii was talented and kind,
and I was genuinely excited to see what would come next from him.
His future most certainly should have been written beyond age 28. I am heartbroken."
And let’s be honest, modern dance culture wouldn't have been the same without you, Avicii.
From all of us here at Billboard we send our thoughts and prayers to Tim's family and loved ones.
For more on Tim's life and legacy, head to Billboard.com.
Until next time, for Billboard News, I'm Chelsea Briggs.