The Industry Remembers Avicii; Manager, Promoters Offer Condolences

Amy Sussman/Invision/AP, File – Avicii

Avicii, one of EDM’s bona-fide superstars, was found dead at the age of 28 in Muscat, Oman, his publicist announced April 20. He was remembered fondly by his peers and collaborators. 

“My heartfelt condolences to Tim’s family and close friends. I can’t express how deeply sad I am,” his collaborator Aloe Blacc wrote on Twitter after receiving news of his passing. “Meeting him changed my life. He was an amazingly talented person and it hurts so bad that he’s gone.”

His former manager, Ash Pournouri of At Night Management, posted a statement on his Instagram, reading: “I’ve never experienced deep sadness like this. I don’t even remember when I’ve cried before but my eyes are swollen with tears since I heard.

“I can’t stop thinking that if I was with you I could have saved you somehow. Sheltered you. From haters, threats, bad relationships, darkness and sickness.”

<blockquote class=”instagram-media” data-instgrm-permalink=”https://www.instagram.com/p/Bh1Eh9fgnOO/” data-instgrm-version=”8″ style=” background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% – 2px); width:calc(100% – 2px);”><div style=”padding:8px;”> <div style=” background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;”> <div style=” background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;”></div></div><p style=” color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;”><a href=”https://www.instagram.com/p/Bh1Eh9fgnOO/” style=” color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;” target=”_blank”>A post shared by Ash Pournouri (@ashpournouri)</a> on <time style=” font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;” datetime=”2018-04-21T10:31:35+00:00″>Apr 21, 2018 at 3:31am PDT</time></p></div></blockquote> <script async defer src=”//www.instagram.com/embed.js”></script>

The artist, real name Tim Bergling, retired from touring in 2016 saying he yearned “for the life of a real person behind the artist.”

Prior to that he had become a touring powerhouse through the peak of EDM. The highest-grossing event he was ever associated with, outside of festivals like Austin City Limits, was an opening gig for Madonna at Yankee Stadium over two nights Sept. 6 and 8, 2012. Those shows saw him perform to 79,775, with nearly $12.6 million grossed.

Michael Rapino, the CEO of Live Nation, the promoter of that Madonna show, wrote on Twitter: “Saddened by the news Avicii passed away. We want to wish all of his loved ones strength in this incredibly difficult time.”

Avicii’s biggest ever solo stand was in his native Sweden, two nights at Stockholm’s Tele2 Arena Feb. 28 and March 1, 2014. It grossed $4.9 million, moving 69,725 tickets. That show was promoted by SPG Live.

IIlario Altamura of Northeast-based promoter Parachute Concerts told Pollstar, “Avicii/Tim was the greatest guy, a huge superstar that made you feel like you knew him for years when you were around him. He was larger than life. We are so thankful for the opportunities we had to work with him.” Parachute worked with Avicii in 2012-2013.

He was a force throughout the world from 2010 to 2014, with headline shows in countries like Mexico, Germany, and Australia and festival appearances in South Korea, Argentina and Morocco.

While he was coming up he toured with industry tastemakers like Swedish House Mafia and Tiësto.

While there was no word as to cause of death at press time, his health was an issue throughout his career and he did have to scrub his calendar of all gigs in 2014 due to health issues. Police had ruled out “criminal suspicion” in his death, according to CNN.

His headline tour of Australia set an attendance record for a standalone DJ in 2014, showing how he was a true flagship artist for a genre that often requires a full festival billing to draw major numbers. Throughout his career he moved a total of more than 1 million tickets, including his festival appearances, and grossed more than $84.1 million through his career, clearly distinguishing him as one of EDM’s largest draws of all-time.

When he was featured as a Pollstar HotStar, his agent, Joel Zimmerman of WME, said: “He’s one of the first electronic acts to do an arena tour.

“I think the time of DJs that play other people’s music is kind of ending. I think the producer/artist has become the DJ.”

His recorded music, much of which was produced and composed by him, was a notable factor in his success, as hits like “Levels,” “Hey Brother,” and “Wake Me Up” got the general masses familiar with EDM in a very big way.

After the news of his death broke, tributes poured in for the artist from all over the internet, from celebrities like Shawn Mendes, to fans whose hearts he touched to his music, with many posting lyrics from some of their favorite Avicii songs.