Family of late Swedish DJ Avicii says grateful for tributes

[April 24, 2018]  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The family of Swedish electronic music DJ and producer Avicii on Monday said they were grateful for the numerous public tributes paid to the "Wake Me Up" hitmaker but offered no details on his unexpected death.

Avicii, whose real name was Tim Bergling, was found dead in Muscat, Oman, on Friday at the age of 28.

"Thank you for all the initiatives taken to honor Tim, with public gatherings, church bells ringing out his music, tributes at Coachella and moments of silence around the world," the Bergling family said in a statement, referencing the popular Coachella music festival in Southern California that finished on Sunday.

The family statement did not say how Avicii died, who had custody of his body or if there were any funeral arrangements. It was not known why the DJ was in Oman.

The Grammy-nominated Avicii, whose hits included the song "Hey Brother," was nominated for a Billboard music award last week, and his death shocked the electronic dance community, where he was a festival and dance club attraction.

(Reporting by Eric Kelsey; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)

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