Pete Tong calls Avicii’s death a ‘wake-up call’ and says he shouldn’t have ‘died chasing the dream’
Swedish superstar Avicii - real name Tim Bergling - took his own life last month
LEGENDARY DJ Pete Tong has called Avicii’s death a “wake-up call”.
The Swedish superstar, real name Tim Bergling, took his own life last month at the age of 28.
Musicians around the world mourned his tragic death after the news broke.
Now, Pete, 57, has said the industry must try and stop history from repeating itself.
Speaking at the International Music Summit [IMS] in Ibiza, Pete said: “His death puts the spotlight firmly back on our industry.
“Ten years ago when we started IMS, we talked about how electronic music was going to break America and take over the world. To a large extent those things happened and still are.
“But we weren’t supposed to die chasing the dream. This is a wakeup call.”
Referencing the struggle Avicii went through before his death, Pete said: “We’ve lost one of the most talented and successful artists of his generation.
“He was the first to make music influenced by his peers and then join them within 12 months.
“It was all so soon, so young, he had no training, there was no introduction, there is no manual for this. He had never even had a proper job.”
Today Avicii’s family told his fans his funeral would be private and was for “the people who were closest to Tim”.
On Sunday night, artists participating in the 2018 Billboard Music Awards paid tribute to the tragic musician.
Alex Pall and Andrew Taggart of the band The Chainsmokers and pop singer Halsey gave an emotional speech at the star studded event.
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Chainsmokers star Drew told the audience: “His passing was a great loss for the music world and for us.
“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.”
While Halsey highlighted the importance of speaking out about mental health and emphasized the need to support those in need.
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