Five years ago today, on April 20, 2018, Avicii (28, real name Tim Bergling, “Wake Me Up”) was found dead in his hotel room in Oman. The star DJ inspired millions of fans with his music. He was overwhelmed by the fame that success brought with it.
Only those closest to him really knew how Avicii was doing at the time. The musician from Sweden, who last lived in Los Angeles, suffered from severe depression, fought his alcohol and pill addiction – and above all his inner demons. He had retired, announcing in 2017 that he no longer wanted to perform live.
Avicii in May 2015 at the Summerburst Festival in Gothenburg, Sweden, his home country
In 2018, the DJ traveled to Oman with a group of friends. He actually seemed to be doing better at the time, he was even working on new music. In the desert he drove through the dunes in a jeep and spent the night in a tent on the beach. He meditated a lot.
“Tim was proud of what he had achieved. Perhaps he was a human being who had not yet realized himself, who had not yet completely conquered the path to cosmic consciousness. But he was committed, he was making progress “Tim – The Official Biography of Avicii”. A book that his parents and longtime friends and companions contributed to. Those who knew him best.
The Muscat Hills Resort in Oman, this is where Avicii was found dead on April 20, 2018
But then, as friends remember, his mood changed. Why? Nobody can really explain that.
Finally, on April 19, one day before Avicii’s death, a friend whom the musician had met on the trip contacted Avicii’s father. He was worried about his condition. At the time, Avicii was crying a lot, not speaking and refusing to eat.
Three days earlier, the musician had called his former therapist. Paul Tanner had recognized from Avicii’s voice that his former patient was not doing well.
“I’m not feeling well, Paul,” he told the doctor. “I feel confused.”
His family left immediately, but they didn’t make it in time. The same friend who called the father had to tell Avicii’s parents that their son was no longer alive.
The day before his suicide, Avicii wrote, “Soul shedding is the final attachment before it all begins again!”
His last thoughts he had – and lines that tear your heart.
Five years, half a decade, have passed since then. Avicii’s mother, actress Anki Lidén (76), says in the current Interview with the Swedish magazine “Vi”: “It wasn’t cancer, it wasn’t a heart, it wasn’t an accident. And he was so young. Today we are convinced that he suffered from psychosis, an acute illness. Tim was a thoughtful, introvert who could find social life very difficult at times.”
Avicii’s mother also remembers her son differently: “(He was) cheerful, funny, creative, friendly, warm. It’s important not to forget that.”
Depressive? Here you will get immediate help
As a rule, BILD does not report on suicides, so as not to give incentives for imitation – unless suicides receive special attention due to the circumstances.
If you are depressed yourself or have suicidal thoughts, please contact the telephone counseling service immediately ( www.telefonseelsorge.de).
You can call the free hotline 0800-1110111 or 0800-1110222 to get help from advisors who can show you ways out of difficult situations.
