In his final post before his death, Swedish EDM DJ Avicii, real name Tim Bergling, was enjoying the sunny weather in California.
The electronic dance music superstar took to social media a final time on April 4 to share a serene picture of himself on the West Coast, writing “It’s always sunny in California.”
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Following news of his death, the comments section has been flooded with fans of the “Wake Me Up” hit maker expressing their grief and thanking him for the music he made during his short but successful career.
Those in the music community have also taken to social media to share their shock and sympathy over the loss.
Bergling’s publicist confirmed Friday that the Swedish DJ had died at the age of 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. 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,” his publicist Diana Baron said in a statement.
No official cause of death has yet been released, though Avicii suffered from very public health problems, including acute pancreatitis, in part due to excessive drinking. After having his gallbladder and appendix removed in 2014, he canceled a series of shows in attempt to recover.
In 2016, he announced his retirement from live performances in an emotional letter he posted to his website, citing health reasons.
“Two weeks ago, I took the time to drive across the U.S. with my friends and team, to just look and see and think about things in a new way,” he wrote. “It really helped me realize that I needed to make the change that I’d been struggling with for a while.”
He told The Hollywood Reporter that he was “nervous when I made the announcement, mainly that I would look ungrateful. But I’ve gotten so many supportive texts from friends in the industry, other DJs, other artists. The fan response has been incredible. And even the press response has been incredible. So yeah, its been a lot better than I expected.”
Although the “Wake Me Up” hitmaker reportedly looked far from healthy in his 2016 interview, he told THR that he was happy.
“I just feel happy. I feel free at this point. Like I have my private life back and focusing on myself for the first time in a long time,” he said.
“This was obviously the hardest decision of my life so far. But so far it has paid off tremendously in terms of well-being for me. I’m happier than I have been in a very very long time. Stress-free more than I have been in a very long time. I can’t say I’m never going to have a show again. I just don’t think I’m going to go back to the touring life.”
