Avicii, famous artist and DJ, dies at 28
World-famous DJ and producer Avicii has died, according a statement provided by his representative to Variety. He was 28 years old.
Avicii, whose real name was Tim Bergling, was found dead Friday afternoon in Oman, the statement said. No cause of death was shared, but the Grammy-nominated artist had retired from performing live in 2016 for health reasons.
"The family is devastated and we ask everyone to please respect their need for privacy in this difficult time," the statement read. "No further statements will be given."
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Avicii produced a long list of radio and club hits, including "Wake Me Up" and "Levels," and attracted massive crowds in Las Vegas and at music festivals. His last album, Stories, was released in 2015.
The Swedish-born DJ suffered from acute pancreatitis and had his gallbladder and appendix removed in 2014.
“To me it was something I had to do for my health,” he told the Hollywood Reporter in 2016 about his decision not to perform live anymore.
"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.”
On Twitter, artists paid tribute to Avicii, who helped push electronic dance music into the mainstream.
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After Avicii passed, an optimistic message remained up on his website.
"Last year I quit performing live, and many of you thought that was it," he wrote. "But the end of live never meant the end of Avicii or my music. Instead, I went back to the place where it all made sense – the studio."
"The next stage will be all about my love of making music to you guys. It is the beginning of something new."
Topics Music
Keith Wagstaff is an assistant editor at Mashable and a terrible Settlers of Catan player. He has written for TIME, The Wall Street Journal Magazine, NBC News, The Village Voice, VICE, GQ and New York Magazine, among many other reputable and not-so-reputable publications. After nearly a decade in New York City, he now lives in his native Los Angeles.
