The death of 28-year-old Swedish DJ and producer Avicii, real name Tim Bergling, late Friday, has shaken the world of electronic dance music.
His publicist Diana Baron told Billboard, “It is with profound sorrow that we announce the loss of Tim Bergling. He was found dead in Muscat, Oman, on April 20. The family is devastated and we ask everyone to please respect their need for privacy in this difficult time.”
Avicii was known to be suffering from acute pancreatitis, in part due to excessive drinking. In 2014, he had his gallbladder and appendix removed. He stopped performing live back in 2016 to concentrate on his health.
Martin Garrix shared this photo with Avicii
“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; all the other parts of being an artiste. I’m more of an introvert. I took on board too much negative energy, I think,” he had once told The Hollywood Reporter.
Some of his hit songs are Wake Me Up, Hey Brother, Addicted To You, Lonely Together and You Make Me, among several others.
Emily Goldberg, who dated the musician for two years, took to Instagram to mourn.
His ex-girlfriend remembers him fondly
“Come on babe, don’t give up on us. Choose me, and I’ll show you love.” Those are lyrics from a song Tim wrote for me. I wish I could have lived up to them. For the two years we were together, he was my closest confidante, and my best friend. Now I can’t look at Bear without knowing I’ll never see his face again. I’m still collecting my thoughts and thank you for all your kind words and texts. Wake me up when it’s all over, because I don’t want it to be real (sic),” she wrote.
Hyderabad pays tribute
Fans of Avicii from the city are devastated. DJ Nigel Ross says, “It’s a big loss of such a young talent; he will be missed. He started early and made a big name for himself in the EDM scene. Tell me, who hasn’t heard the track Wake Me Up? As musicians and producers, we will miss him. He was an inspiration. We heard him play live and it was amazing. I dedicated my set on Saturday to him.” Sahars Kumar, an associate programme manager at Ola Cabs, says. “He’s one of the earliest EDM artistes I listened to. I have fond memories we used to listen to him during our road trips and nights out. His beats lift your spirit, no matter what mood you are in. I am really upset,” he adds.
While Akhilan Michael adds, “I wish we could wake him up, but that’s not possible. It’s sad news, as he was just 28. My Facebook wall is filled with messages for him. He has had trouble with alcohol in the past, so I would like to tell youngsters to be more careful.”
Rohit Jain, an entrepreneur, adds that he is curious to know how Avicii died. “There’s not much being said and I would like to know what happened. Of his tracks, Lonely Together is my favourite,” he adds.
