Artist, DJ and producer Tim Bergling, aka Avicii, has died in Oman aged 28.
"It is with profound sorrow that we announce the loss of Tim Bergling, also known as Avicii," a statement from his publicist read. "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."
Avicii was one of the few DJs capable of a worldwide arena tour, playing massive outdoor headline shows in Australia alongside regular festival slots. He won two MTV Music Awards, one Billboard Music Award and earned two Grammy nominations.
He had six top 10 singles in Australia, most notably the 2013 chart-topper Wake Me Up. His debut album True also reached No.1 on the ARIA charts the same year.
One of the most popular and successful dance artists of all time, he retired from performing in 2016 at the peak of his success, citing health reasons.
He had suffered from health problems for several years, including acute pancreatitis, in part due to excessive drinking. He had his gall bladder and appendix removed in 2014.
He posted the following statement on his website last year:
"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.
"Hope you'll enjoy it as much as I do."
Bergling was born in Stockholm on September 8, 1989. He began DJing as a teenager and released his first single in 2007. He released a large number of singles and remixes in the following years and rapidly built a reputation as a live act.
His 2011 single Levels vaulted him into the mainstream. Sunshine, his 2012 collaboration with David Guetta, was nominated for a Grammy for best dance recording.
In September of that year, he became the first DJ to headline New York's prestigious Radio City Music Hall.
However, as his popularity rose, his health declined. He was hospitalised in March 2014 and cancelled several appearances. He released his second full-length album, Stories, in October 2015.
In August 2017, he released a six-track EP entitled Avici, which he said was the first of three instalments that would be his next album. He followed a month later with a full-length documentary called True Stories, which was largely about his retirement. In it, promoters are seen trying to convince him to continue touring, even though he is in obvious physical pain.
"I looked at myself like, 'F***, you should've really stood up for yourself more there. Come on, Tim!,'" he said of the documentary to Rolling Stone in an interview published last September. "Why didn't I stop the ship earlier?"
"I needed to figure out my life. The whole thing was about success for the sake of success. I wasn't getting any happiness anymore. Now that I have more time in the studio, I want to learn as much about other genres as possible. That's what I love the most - having a session with Nile Rodgers, for instance, and getting an understanding of music that's invaluable."
Australian Associated Press
