Avicii's Family Reveals Funeral Plans

The family of late Swedish DJ Avicii (born Tim Bergling) announced Tuesday that the 28-year-old international star's funeral will be a private affair. In a statement to Billboard, the family explained: "There have been many inquiries regarding the funeral arrangements for Tim Bergling, known by music fans as Avicii. The Bergling family has now confirmed that the funeral will be private, in the presence of the people who were closest to Tim. They kindly ask media to respect this. There is no additional information forthcoming."

Avicii's body was found in his hotel room in Oman on April 20, with authorities ruling out foul play and his family indicating that the cause of death was suicide. "Our beloved Tim was a seeker, a fragile artistic soul searching for answers to existential questions," a statement from the family read. "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 could not go on any longer. He wanted to find peace."

Avicii had been open about his health issues, included pancreatitis and surgery to remove his gall bladder and pancreas, which contributed to his sudden retirement from touring in 2016. At Sunday night's (May 20) 2018 Billboard Music Awards, The Chainsmokers and Halsey were the latest artists to pay tribute to Avicii with a heartfelt message about the "Levels" star's enduring influence. 

"His passing was a great loss for the music world and for us," The Chainsmokers' Drew Taggart said. "He was an artist who inspired so many in so many ways, and simply put, he meant so much to us and everyone in the EDM community."  

This story first appeared on billboard.com