Avicii’s ‘Worried’ Brother Arrived in Oman Just Hours After Deejay Reportedly Took His Own Life: Source
May 1, 2018Avicii‘s loved ones feared the worst leading up to his sudden death.
“Avicii’s family spoke to him on the phone earlier that week and got very worried about his mental state,” a source tells PEOPLE. “His brother flew to Oman to bring him home and arrived only a couple of hours too late.”
The Swedish deejay and producer, born Tim Bergling, was found dead in Muscat, Oman, on April 20. He was 28.
TMZ reported on Tuesday that Avicii died by a self-inflicted wound using a shard of glass. His family previously released a statement on Thursday implying the star died from suicide.
A rep for Avicii as well as the Royal Oman Police did not immediately return PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Avicii
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In a letter obtained by PEOPLE (which was translated from Swedish), the musician’s family calls him “a seeker, a fragile artistic soul searching for answers to existential questions” and “an over-achieving perfectionist who traveled and worked hard at a pace that led to extreme stress.”
“When he stopped touring, he wanted to find a balance in life to be happy and be able to do what he loved most — music. He really struggled with thoughts about Meaning, Life, Happiness. He could not go on any longer. He wanted to find peace,” continued the statement. “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. Tim, you will forever be loved and sadly missed. The person you were and your music will keep your memory alive. We love you, Your family.”
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On April 22, the Royal Oman Police told CNN they had ruled out any suspicion of foul play. “Two postmortems were carried out … and we can confirm that there is no criminal suspicion in the death,” authorities told the outlet.
Avicii
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When Avicii skyrocketed to mainstream fame with his 2013 smash hit “Wake Me Up,” he told PEOPLE he was torn about the fast-living deejay lifestyle.
“I’m tired, really tired, but I’ve been at it since I was 17, 18 years old — touring pretty much nonstop, 300 shows a year, and it’s been very hectic,” he told PEOPLE at the time. “I need a break.”
In a 2017 Netflix documentary, Avicii: True Stories, the deejay, perhaps presciently, said continuing to work might kill him.
“I have told them this: I won’t be able to play anymore,” he said in the documentary, which has since been removed from the subscription streaming platform. “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.”