Avicii, Swedish DJ, Dead at 28
Rest in peace, Avicii.
The Swedish DJ, real name Tim Bergling, died on Friday, ET confirms. He was 28.
"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," his rep said in a statement to ET. "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."
Avicii, who was responsible for hits like "Wake Me Up" and "Hey Brother," had retired from live performances in 2016, due to health reasons. The DJ and producer had suffered from health problems over the last few years, including acute pancreatitis. He had his gallbladder and appendix removed in 2014.
In a statement posted to his website last year, he wrote, "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."
"Last year I quit performing live, and many of you thought that was it. 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," he continued. "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.”
A documentary based on Avicii, titled Avicii: True Stories, released last year, depicting how the stress of life on the road led the DJ to be hospitalized and later retire from performing. Avicii gave his last interview to Rolling Stone last September, revealing that the film "hard" to watch.
"I looked at myself like, 'F**k, you should've really stood up for yourself more there. Come on, Tim!' Why didn't I stop the ship earlier?" he said. "The one thing that kept me from stopping was that I felt weird -- like, "Why the f**k can't I enjoy this like all the other DJs?'"
"But I'm starting to realize that a lot of the DJs who look excited at every show have the same thoughts," he added.
Avicii was nominated for two GRAMMY Awards throughout his career, once for his work on "Sunshine" with David Guetta in 2012, and again for his song, "Levels," in 2013. He last tweeted on Tuesday.
The sad news comes after Hollywood has said goodbye to several public figures in recent months including Barbara Bush, John Mahoney, David Cassidy, Della Reese,Tom Petty, Hugh Hefner, Shelley Berman, Jerry Lewis and more.
For more on stars we have recently lost, watch below:
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