Swedish DJ Avicii gained worldwide recognition in the electronic dance music scene with hits
such as "Levels" and "Wake Me Up."
With two Grammy nominations under his belt and millions of albums sold, the 28-year-old
Avicii — real name Tim Bergling — was poised to continue hitting the top of the
charts for a long time to come.
But his sudden passing on April 20th, 2018, cut his impressive career short and left the
music world stunned.
Here is the untold truth of Avicii.
Hard living
Avicii suffered quite a few health issues over the years, especially for someone so
young.
In his documentary, Avicii: True Stories, which screened in select theaters in 2017,
Avicii opened up about his struggle with acute pancreatitis — a condition that caused him
significant physical pain.
According to the Mayo Clinic, the symptoms of acute pancreatitis often appear unexpectedly
and can last for days.
Avicii was first diagnosed with acute pancreatitis in 2012, after being hospitalized in New York.
According to Billboard, the condition was reportedly caused by the artist's heavy drinking.
Following further health complications, Avicii, who had allegedly stopped drinking alcohol,
had surgeries to remove his gallbladder and appendix in 2014.
However, problems resulting from the surgeries later caused him to cancel shows that same
year.
Avicii passed away in Muscat, Oman on the afternoon of April 20th, 2018, from unknown
causes.
His publicist released the one and only statement the family plans to give:
"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."
As of the making of this video, it is unknown if Avicii's past health issues had anything
to do with his passing, but authorities have ruled out any foul play.
Touring retirement
At a time when most people are still figuring out what they want to do in life, Avicii decided
to put a stop to a major part of his successful career when he was just 26 years old.
Despite being one of the highest paid DJs in the world, Avicii announced that he was
retiring from touring in a lengthy post on his website in March 2016.
Thanking his fans for their support and his team for its hard work, he wrote,
"Two weeks ago, I took the time to drive across the U.S. with my friends and team, to just
look and see and think about things in a new way.
It really helped me realize that I needed to make the change that I'd been struggling
with for a while."
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter that same year, Avicii explained he'd retired from touring
in order to focus on his health, noting that he'd often take on "too much negative energy"
while on the road.
Avicii detailed some of this negativity to Rolling Stone in September 2017, saying,
"Parties can be amazing, but it's very easy to become too attached to partying in places
like Ibiza . You become lonely and get anxieties.
It becomes toxic."
Beginning of something new
Though Avicii was over traveling the world on tour, he hadn't given up on his music career.
In 2017, he shared on his website that he'd gone, quote, "back to the place where it all
made sense — the studio."
He explained,
"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."
That August, Avicii released a new six-track EP.
As noted by Variety, the EP was to be the first of three installments that would make
up his next record, which Avicii vowed would be the, quote, "best damn album" of his career.
Just days before his passing, the EP was nominated for a 2018 Billboard Music Award for best
dance/electronic album.
Avicii tweeted "Thanks for the nomination!"
after learning the news, adding a prayer hands emoji to the post.
When Avicii announced the EP, he told fans he had finally found his purpose:
"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."