Avicii worried about his health in the months leading up to his death. The Swedish DJ, who was found dead at age 28 in Oman on Friday, April 20, admitted in a recent documentary that he believed he was “going to die” if he continued to to perform.
“I have been very open with everyone I work with and everyone who knows me,” Avicii (real name Tim Bergling) told his longtime friend, filmmaker Levan Tsikurishvili, in Avicii: True Stories, which was released in October 2017 and briefly streamed on on Netflix. “Everyone knows that I have anxiety and that I have tried. I did not expect that people would try to pressure me into doing more gigs.”
The EDM producer, who retired from performing in 2016, continued, “They have seen how ill I have felt by doing it, but I had a lot of push-back when I wanted to stop doing gigs. I have told them this. I won’t be able to play anymore. I have said, like, ‘I’m going to die.’ I have said it so many times. And so, I don’t want to hear that I should entertain the thought of doing another gig.”
Prior to retiring, Avicii had battled several health issues, including acute pancreatitis, in part due to excessive drinking. He had his appendix and gallbladder removed in 2014.
As previously reported, Avicii’s publicist confirmed in a statement to Us Weekly on Friday afternoon that the “Wake Me Up” DJ had died. “The family is devastated, and we ask everyone to please respect their need for privacy in this difficult time,” the statement read. The cause of death has not been revealed.
The Grammy nominee’s family spoke out on Monday, April 23, saying in a statement to Us: “We would like to thank you for the support and the loving words about our son and brother. We are so grateful for everyone who loved Tim’s music and have precious memories of his songs. Thank you for all the initiatives taken to honor Tim, with public gatherings, church bells ringing out his music, tributes at Coachella and moments of silence around the world. We are grateful for the privacy during this difficult time. Our wish is that it continues that way.”
