Avicii was a Swedish DJ and producer whose talent touched the world. Unfortunately he died at a young age. His death shocked many people in different corners of the world who fell in love with his talent and never expected the sad news. The young talented producer may be late now but questions remain about his life and death and we are here to answer some of them.
Tim Bergling was Avicii’s given name at birth and he was born in Stockholm, Sweden. The electrifying DJ was born on September 8, 1989 to Klas Bergling and Anki Liden. Avicii had three siblings named David Bergling, Linda Sterner and Anton Körberg. It was his DJ brother, David, who inspired a young 16-year-old Avicii to start making music. Avicii was quite shy when he was young, he had breakouts with acne which made him even more shy about mixing with people. Music was the way he was able to express himself because he was afraid to actually speak in front of other people. He made sense of the world and his place in it through music.
At the age of 16, inspired by his brother, he started making remixes in his family. Hiding behind a stage name, he began sharing his remixes on electronic dance music forums. Through one of his online ads, a manager found him and invited him for coffee after being impressed by his talent.
Avicii was mainly interested in getting a chance to DJ in a club at the time, but there were bigger plans for him. Before long, Avicii had risen through the ranks to charge $250,000+ for a night’s work and perform in front of thousands of people. By 2014, he had around $28 million in earnings.
How did Avicii die? All you need to know
Avicii officially passed away on April 20, 2018 of apparent suicide. However, Avicii’s health and mental state have been called into question at various points throughout his career. The talented DJ appeared to send out a cry for help, but it was too late before some people heard. Below we present a timeline of some flares that showed Avicii driving down a dark road.
Hospitalized in New York
In January 2012, when Avicii was 22 years old, he was hospitalized in New York City for 11 days for acute pancreatitis brought on by heavy drinking.
Hospitalized in Australia
In 2013 he was again a year older hospitalized after experiencing similar symptoms during a trip to Australia. He refused to heed the advice of the treating doctors, who asked him to have his gallbladder removed.
Hospitalized in Miami
In 2014, Avicii would headline the Ultra Music Festival in Miami. He was hospitalized the day before his third straight performance after exhibiting symptoms of fever, excruciating pain, nausea and others associated with acute pancreatitis. When he sought treatment, it was found that his acute pancreatitis had returned and his appendix had ruptured. Both his gallbladder and appendix were removed and he was given some time to recover.
The release of the song “Alcoholic”
Avicii had a song called “Alcoholic” on which he sang the dark, apparently self-conscious lyrics that label him an alcoholic.
Cancellation of live tours
After the health struggles of previous years, in 2016, Avicii announced that he was retiring from live touring. He sent a retirement letter thanking his fans and team and saying he would continue making music but wanted to slow down the fast life he had been living up to that moment.
Last Moments
On April 20, 2018, a day after he posted a photo on Instagram, Avicii was found dead with a few friends aboard a yacht in Muscat at the age of twenty-eight. His management released a statement on his death, urging everyone to respect his family’s need for privacy during the difficult time.
His family released a statement on April 26, 2018, suggesting the producer/DJ had committed suicide. The family’s message said Avicii had been trying to find balance and be happy while still making music. They also said he was a sensitive man who loved his fans but didn’t love the limelight and wasn’t cut out for the business machine he was thrust into.
It was indeed a sad end to a great life and fans around the world continue to mourn the man who was one of the most talented DJs and producers of his time.