Avicii, Swedish DJ and Top EDM Artist, Dead at 28

Swedish DJ Avicii, known for hits such as "Wake me up" and "Levels", died at age 28 on Friday, April 20th. The DJ whose real name is Tim Bergling breathed his last at Muscat, Oman. The news of his demise was released by his publicist Ebba Lindquist: “It is with profound sorrow that we announce the loss of Tim Bergling, also known as Avicii,” the statement reads. “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 born in 1989 in Stolkholm, Sweden and started his DJing career during his teenage years in 2007. He chose his stage name Avicii inspired from the Buddhist hell Avici,  which is the lowest level where sinners go to.  In  2010 he blazed into the scene with "Seek Bromance", a track that topped the charts in Europe. His hit track "Levels" also earned him a Grammy nomination in 2012. He collaborated with David Guetta in "Sunshine" which brought him more Grammy glory.

Avicii's death comes as a shock to the world since the DJ was already at the height of his career. He constantly appeared on Top 5 of Forbes' Highest Pay DJ lists and had retired from performing live in 2016. He told the Hollywood Reporter “To me it was something I had to do for my health. 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.”

Although the reason for his demise is not conveyed, Avicii faced a number of health problems for many years, one of the most notable being acute pancreatitis caused due to heavy drinking. The health problem escalated in 2014 and the DJ had his gallbladder and appendix removed.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 21, 2018 02:09 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).