How Did Avicii Die? The Tragic Story of One of the Greatest DJs of Our Time

Last updated on August 3rd, 2023 at 09:03 am

Avicii is one of the pioneer artists that bridged the gap between electronic and country music. As a DJ, music producer, and remixer, among other titles, Avicii has recorded hits like “The Nights”, “Hey Brother,” and “Wake Me Up” to show his influence and uniqueness in the EDM world. 

He died an icon. The question in the hearts of fans worldwide remains, how did Avicii die? Here, we look into the last moments of Avicii’s seemingly short life, the events that led up to his death, and when exactly he died.

Who is Avicii?

Named Tim Bergling at birth, he chose the stage name Avicii, meaning “lowest level of Buddhist hell” when he began his music career because his real name was already in use on MySpace.

In Stockholm, Sweden, the DJ, producer, and all-around musician was born on September 8, 1989. Bergling began music officially at 16, uploading his remixes to electronic music forums, which eventually bagged him his first record deal.

His shot to fame was in 2011 when he released his single, “Levels”. He released his debut album, True in 2013 and it featured his award-winning hit, “Wake Me Up” which topped music charts all over the world and peaked at number 4 in the United States.

He released more body of works which include his second studio album, Stories in 2015, and an EP, Avīci (01) in 2017. 

Most popular songs include “Hey Brother”, “Wake Me Up”, “The Nights”, “The Days”, “Addicted to You”, “Lonely Together”, and “Sunshine” which featured David Guetta.

Avicii’s Net Worth

Avicii’s net worth was about $85 million at the time of his death. 

The Death of Avicii

On April 20th, 2018, news of Avicii’s death dominated the media all over the world, when he was found dead in Oman while he was on vacation. Six days later, his family confirmed he died by suicide, and explained “…he could not go on any longer. He wanted to find peace…” in their family statement.

The police also ruled out his death for foul play.

These leave so many puzzles and questions surrounding the death of the Swedish DJ. What were Avicii’s final days like? Why did Avicii commit suicide? What was Avicii’s mental health like? Here are some of the answers we have.

How Old Was Avicii When He Died?

Avicii was 28 years old at the time of death.

Avicii’s Life Before April 20, 2018

In 2016, Avicii announced his retirement from touring due to his health challenges and stress level. Although he was still working on music, he intended to take that step back to protect his health, particularly his mental health.

He had been diagnosed with acute pancreatitis about 4 years back as a result of his excessive alcohol use. He had also had surgery to remove his gallbladder and appendix the same year. 

Some of the opioids that had been prescribed for his pain caused an addiction for him, some of which he spoke about in his documentary, Avicii: True Stories in 2017.

These, alongside the pressure he was getting from his management, record label, and fans caused his health to deteriorate up until a breaking point. In the final public letter from his family following his death, they stated that “Our beloved Tim was a seeker, a fragile artistic soul searching for answers to existential questions. 

An overachieving perfectionist who traveled and worked hard at a pace that led to extreme stress…Tim was not made for the business machine he found himself in; he was a sensitive guy who loved his fans but shunned the spotlight.

From these, we can tell that the stress of the music business impacted Tim in a way we wouldn’t have wished for him. He was indeed passionate about the work he did and only wanted to please the true fans with his works.

What Were Avicii’s Final Days Like?

According to a Rolling Stone report, after announcing that he was working on his third album, Avicii was at his LA home studio with songwriter/producer, Joe Janiak where they worked together before he traveled to Oman to visit his royal friends.

After his death, Janiak confirmed that Avicii didn’t look like someone who was at the end of his days, and was rather “pumped” about life, and had said he would reach out again after he was back from his trip.

Other reports from close people to him like his guitarist and the Head of Universal Music in Sweden appeared to show that Avicii looked happy after retiring and was looking forward to dropping new music. One of the last videos that exist of him before his death showed him with a drink, just one day before his death.

After his death, more revelations came out, and one of the most shocking ones was that he remained confused, even as he traveled and recorded music. A final phone call to his family was leaked, and it appeared that he was hinting at them about his suicidal thoughts.

It was nearly impossible for them to reach him fast enough before he took his own life. It was rumored that his brother, David, had traveled to Oman to be with his brother. He however couldn’t make it quickly enough as Avicii had taken his own life about two hours before his brother arrived.

How Was Avicii’s Death Received?

Avicii’s death was one of the most unexpected and shocking ones of the last decade. It left his family, friends, and music lovers in utter shock for days and weeks after it happened.

Many fans, artists, and collaborators have paid their tribute to Avicii on several social media platforms and in different ways. One of the notable ones was DJ Kygo’s tribute at Coachella a few weeks after his death, where thousands of fans joined in. 

Also, in 2019, a tribute concert was put together for him at the Friends Arena in Stockholm where over 50,000 fans were in attendance to pay their last respect to the iconic DJ.

Avicii was laid to rest in his hometown in Stockholm, Sweden a few months after his death.