Pete Tong has spoken about the death of DJ and friend Avicii.
Pete Tong gave the key note speech at the International Music Summit in Ibiza, and he made a heartbreaking and poignant talk on the importance of looking after the mental health of artists in the music industry.
He said of Avicii’s death: ‘We weren’t supposed to die chasing the dream.’
He added that Avicii, real name Tim Bergling, had been thrown into the industry without any guidance.
‘Tim had no training, there was no introduction, he had never even had a proper job,’ he said of the late DJ.
The discussion focused on mental health within the music industry.
A panel called Our Duty Of Care followed Tong’s tribute to Avicii. Christine Brown of Help Musicians UK said: ‘People in music are three times more likely to suffer from mental illness. That really pushed us into action.’
The DJ died on 20 April in Oman at the age of 28 and his cause of death was later confirmed by his family as suicide.
In a statement released to Billboard, the Bergling family said: ‘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.’
A posthumous album is said to be being released soon.
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