“Tim wanted to make a difference. Starting a foundation in his name is our way to honor his memory and continue to act in his spirit,” his family said.
The family of the late DJ/producer Avicii announced that it has launched a foundation to raise money and awareness for a variety of causes, including mental health and suicide prevention.
Rolling Stone reported that the Tim Bergling Foundation will pay tribute to the late musician, who died of an apparent suicide in 2018, by supporting those causes and addressing global and national issues in his native country of Sweden.
In a statement, the family said, “Tim wanted to make a difference. Starting a foundation in his name is our way to honor his memory and continue to act in his spirit.”
In addition to supporting mental health issues, the Tim Bergling Foundation – which takes its moniker from Avicii’s real name – hopes to also bring attention to worldwide issues like climate change, development assistance, nature conservation, and endangered species as well as initiatives that are inherent to Sweden.
The effort echoes the charitable work done by Avicii during his lifetime, which included support for Feeding America, the FEED Foundation, (RED) and Sweden’s Radiohjalpen.
Arguably one of the most popular and successful electronic dance music (EDM) artists of the last two decades, Avicii rose to global fame on the strength of his Top 5 hit “Wake Me Up” in 2013, and according to Variety, placed regularly on Forbes’ “Highest-Paid DJs” list.
At the height of his fame, Avicii stepped away from live performing, citing stress, anxiety and illness as the reasons for his decision. He also suffered from health issues, including pancreatitis caused by excessive drinking, which required the removal of his gall bladder and appendix in 2014.
“The decision I made might seem odd to some, but everyone is different and for me, this was the right one,” he wrote on social media after announcing his retirement.
On April 20, 2018, Avicii was found dead while on vacation in Muscat, Oman. An autopsy found “no criminal suspicion” in his death, but TMZ reported quotes from sources that indicated that the DJ had taken his own life with a shard of glass from a bottle.
His family released a statement shortly after his death that stated in part that Avicii “really struggled with thoughts about Meaning, Life, Happiness. He could not go on any longer. He wanted to find peace.”
