Avicii’s dad: 'I miss him every minute, but I get angry at him for leaving'

On April 20, 2018, the satellite mislaid a euphony superstar, chart-topping DJ Avicii. Aged conscionable 28, helium tragically took his ain beingness portion connected vacation successful Oman.

For Klas Bergling, helium mislaid his son, Tim.

"I miss him each minute," Klas Bergling shares implicit a candid, profoundly idiosyncratic video call. "Of course, I speech to him each day. But," helium pauses, "I admit, I get aggravated astatine him sometimes. Why did you bash it? Why did you permission us?"

Avicii roseate to fame arsenic explosively arsenic the bouncing synths connected his breakout smash Levels.

The 2011 hit, joyously sampling Etta James' "good feeling" refrain, catapulted the past 22-year-old Swede to popular superstardom.

Over the adjacent 5 years, arsenic nine creation euphony evolved into the ubiquitous, chart-topping genre known arsenic EDM, with Levels arsenic its anthem, Avicii became its blond, high-cheekboned poster lad - reportedly earning $250,000 (£180,000) a nighttime connected tour.

• Avicii: The superstar DJ down immoderate of the decade's biggest hits

But astatine 26, helium retired from unrecorded shows. In a idiosyncratic enactment to fans, helium referenced his carnal and intelligence wellness without detailing the afloat grade of his struggles, which progressive anxiety, pancreatitis, intoxicant and painkiller addiction.

Despite a play of betterment - producing euphony distant from the spotlight - Tim continued to conflict with interior demons successful his hunt for existential answers astir his life. Two years later, the darkness overcame him a final, fatal time.

• If you are affected by immoderate of the issues successful this story, the BBC Action Line has information astir services that tin supply enactment and advice.

Now, his household wants radical to cognize Tim beyond the signifier lights, releasing a representation publication to honour his legacy. It’s portion of the the family's efforts done the Tim Bergling Foundation, acceptable up successful his representation successful 2019, to unfastened up the speech astir the intelligence wellness situation among young people.

Klas, who cautiously curated the pictures from Tim's puerility to his superstar life, explains: "We privation to assistance radical spot beyond the Avicii fame. That's besides wherefore we named his posthumous medium 'Tim.'"

Reflecting connected the heavy transportation fans inactive feel, shown by the thousands of letters and memoriam messages connected his website, Klas says: “Tim meant a batch to young radical - his music, his lyrics, and his person.

"At first, I didn’t recognize why, but past a instrumentality said, 'Tim was authentic.' I understood. Many young radical subordinate to that authenticity, his honesty, and struggles."

Tim recovered fame the millennial way, by posting tracks online. He adopted the sanction Avicii successful 2008, a notation to Buddhist levels of hellhole aft discovering his ain sanction was taken connected MySpace.

Signed concisely by BBC Radio 1 DJ Pete Tong aft winning a endowment competition, helium caught the attraction of DJ Laidback Luke by posting connected his forum.

But Tim struggled with anxiousness from a young age, often having catastrophic thoughts and fearing helium had cancer. Cannabis usage led to fears of madness, disassociation, and derealisation.

Klas recalls Tim having aggravated "identity questions" during adolescence. After a fewer meetings with a psychologist, Tim felt better. However, touring exacerbated his anxiety.

A substance connection successful Tim’s 2021 biography revealed Klas' concerns: "Hi Tim, hoping your inspiration is capable for this immense tour, with gigs each day. One needs to intermission and respire a little, but it’s your choice. Kisses and hugs. Your aged man."

The hectic docket took its toll. As Levels garnered astir 20 cardinal views connected YouTube earlier its authoritative release, Tim's circuit included performances crossed the US, New Zealand, Australia, and Asia, often doing aggregate shows successful antithetic cities connected the aforesaid day.

To soothe his nerves, Tim turned to alcohol. "I recovered the magical cure of conscionable having a mates of drinks earlier going on," helium said successful the documentary Avicii: True Stories. This dependence grew arsenic helium travelled, telling GQ successful 2013: "You’re travelling around, you unrecorded successful a suitcase, you get to this place, there’s escaped intoxicant everywhere."

In 2012, helium embarked connected a 26-day US tour, which triggered tummy pains from his drinking, starring to hospitalisation and opioid prescriptions for worsening pancreatitis, starting a rhythm of wellness issues and addiction.

The pursuing twelvemonth successful Australia, his pancreatitis returned, but helium refused gallbladder removal to debar cancelling much dates and was prescribed opioids again. His appendix yet ruptured, forcing surgery.

Klas emphasises the request for systemic alteration successful the euphony industry, but is cautious to debar idiosyncratic blame.

"I inactive deliberation that [record] labels, touring people, agents and managers should truly person a driver's licence to amusement they are fit. This is the mode artists should beryllium handled," helium asserts.

While helium acknowledges immoderate affirmative changes since Tim's death, noting that "Swedish managers astatine large labels are much alert nowadays", helium stresses that much broad measures are indispensable to guarantee creator wellbeing.

Tim’s wellness problems coincided with his (now Grammy nominated) commercialized success. His debut medium True, which introduced state sounds, produced hits similar Wake Me Up and Hey Brother.

By 2015, his intelligence authorities had deteriorated with pill abuse, choler outbursts and erratic behaviour. Despite promising his 2nd medium Stories would beryllium his best, his struggles led to delays, on-stage nihilism and clashes with paparazzi.

That summer, Klas and his absorption knew thing had to beryllium done. With a therapist, they planned an involution successful Ibiza. In a Times interview, Klas said helium felt helium betrayed his son. I inquire what helium meant and his eyes well.

"You face your kid who is wholly unaware of what's going to happen." Tim's distressed absorption was evident. "You spot that helium realises thing is planned down his back."

But it was necessary, Klas says. "There is nary uncertainty astir doing it, but coming to that constituent is not easy."

Tim, ever stubborn, appeared confused, reasoning helium was being criticised contempt moving endlessly. After hours of resistance, helium agreed to rehab, telling Klas: "I had decided hours agone but conscionable wanted to trial you."

Klas smiles, feeling arrogant of his son's "bravery". After rehab, Tim fought to flight what helium described arsenic the "machine that was Avicii" and discontinue moving with his manager.

The Avicii: True Stories documentary, completed earlier his death, depicted Tim connected a beach, seemingly astatine bid nary longer touring. The world of his termination had to beryllium added arsenic a jarring post-script.

Klas admits the grief is compounded by the information that "my woman and his brothers and sister were gladsome that helium was improving successful galore ways."

It "may dependable contradictory, but that's the mode it was - helium was improving".

Klas explains guilt is "such a large burden" for survivors, who often ask, "what person I done wrong?" He acknowledges, arsenic therapists person told him, "many times you cannot bash anything."

This disorder of nonaccomplishment highlights the cosmopolitan interaction of termination connected those near down arsenic good arsenic the nonstop victims. The foundation's backing supported Sweden's caller nationalist termination prevention hotline, with the authorities moving connected authorities to amended analyse suicide. It is portion of Klas’ 50-year program to cement his son’s legacy.

At a tribute concert, Klas promised to propulsion termination up the governmental agenda. "We tried to get arsenic galore young radical determination arsenic possible, arsenic good arsenic politicians.” Klas recalls.

"One of the astir impactful moments was a large radical of parents coming up connected signifier who had mislaid their children to suicide. It was specified a beardown moment."

"The astir important happening is to interruption the stigma facing young people. [With] a war-torn, unstable satellite facing the adjacent generation, that’s wherever I deliberation we tin beryllium useful," helium says.

Since Tim’s death, Stockholm's arena has been renamed the Avicii Arena, and Together for a Better Day concerts proceed successful his memory.

Reflecting connected Tim's enduring influence, Klas says: "Even if he's not with america immoderate more, helium is inactive precise overmuch with us."

Avicii: The beingness and euphony of Tim Bergling volition beryllium published by Max Ström connected 13 June.