Avicii Dead at 28
On Friday, the 28-year-old Swedish deejay and producer (born Tim Bergling) was found dead in Muscat, Oman, where he was on holiday. The body of Avicii will be flown home to Sweden this week confirmed by sources.
His parents, two brothers and sister, who are all completely devastated police say. A cause of death has not released yet.
Avicii had ongoing health problems, including acute pancreatitis which caused him to have his gallbladder and appendix removed four years ago.
The Grammy-nominated artist announced his retirement from touring in a lengthy letter to fans on his website In early 2016.
Quotes:
“We all reach a point in our lives and careers where we understand what matters the most to us,” he wrote. “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.”
“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,” he continued.
Musicians paid respect on social media including fellow producers like Calvin Harris, Zedd, Tiësto, Deadmau5, DJ Snake and Marshmello as well as many singers, including Liam Payne, Madonna, and Charlie Puth.
His former manager Arash Pournouri, who discovered Avicii at age 18 and managed him up until 2016, also posted an emotional note on Instagram Saturday.
“Shock. Grief. Anger. rage. Apathy. Despair. Misery. Pain. Pain. Pain. I don’t even know what this feeling is called,” he wrote. “You were my family. My brother. My friend. My ally. Part of my heart. That’s now gone. I’ve never experienced deep sadness like this. I don’t even remember when I’ve cried before but my eyes are swollen with tears since I heard. I haven’t really accepted it yet, I can’t imagine it’s even real. Empty.”
“You were beautiful. You were raw talent. You were one in a billion,” he added. “I can’t stop thinking that if I was with you, I could have saved you somehow. Sheltered you. From haters, threats, bad relationships, darkness and sickness. Whatever happened, I would have taken a bullet for you. I don’t understand. At all. Not the least. Empty.”
Pournouri went on to imply the two had a tense relationship with “ups and downs,” but that they had spent “9 hours together, eating, drinking and hanging out,” back in February.
“I will never forget, and forever be happy and grateful for the last words we both shared,” he wrote. “We made undeniable history together, you and I. Never for anything but creativity and to move the world. And we did move it. More than once. And you are moving it still after you’re gone. But none of it was, or will ever be, worth your life ending too soon. No recognition, money or material things in the universe was ever worth seeing you sick or pressured. And you hid your true feelings, and let the brother that always took care of you first, fought for you first and protected you first, know too late how you really felt, trying to keep up with the impossible pace of the world.”
“If I had only known,” Pournouri added. “I could have saved you earlier. I could have put you back on my back and carried you again, protected you from whatever caused you harm. You were part of my heart and I would never have allowed you to go. There’s a dagger right in the middle of it, shooting lightning bolts across my entire body. And I feel completely empty.”
He concluded: “There’s so much to this that others don’t know nor can even begin to understand. And I will try to address at a later time as I’m too heartbroken to do anything else but grieve. But I thought you moved on as I did and got out two years ago. I was incredibly happy and proud of you for taking care of yourself before anything else or anyone else. So I will never understand. Everyone was saying how happy you were now a couple of years after retiring. Last time we met you were doing great, looking strong and alert. And your biggest problems were women troubles. Like any normal 28-year-old. I miss you so much. Empty.”
