In a new interview, Klas Bergling, the father of the late EDM icon Avicii, revisits his son's legacy and unravels the complex journey of an artist who left a void far deeper than fame could fill.
Bergling sat down with Geronimo, SiriusXM's vice president of dance/electronic music programming, on Radio Avicii for the intimate interview. The tribute station launched in May as a partnership with the Tim Bergling Foundation, the philanthropic organization founded by Avicii's family following his tragic death by suicide in 2018.
For Bergling, it seems that keeping Avicii's spirit alive is a labor of love, uniting the pain of loss with the power of legacy.
“That's also the difficulty of him being so, you know, famous, you could say, and still being so popular because he'll always be there as long as I live, and my wife at least lives,” he said.
c/o Klas Bergling
Bergling also talked about Pophouse Entertainment, the Swedish investment firm that in 2022 bought a majority stake in Avicii's music catalog. Honoring his son through stories that amplify his light and lasting impact, the company's long-term brand strategy includes an Avicii musical.
Responding to Geronimo's question about whether the deal with Pophouse “will ensure that [Avicii’s] memory exists forever,” Bergling said.
“Absolutely. That's what we hope and that was the reason for doing it, and of course, a very, very strong reason also is that his music and, you know, the catalogs are a guarantee for the Tim Bergling Foundation,” he explained. “We have said that we will ensure that the foundation operates for 50 years, and 50 years is the number chosen because that is the age that Tim could have reached with the normal standard of living that we have today.”
“So it's a big task to do it, and the base is growing. We have a very, very nice and good team in Stockholm, and so today I feel quite relaxed trusting the team to take it further.” “I know, when I don't have the capacity to be there, so it's important for me to know that too, of course, and my wife.”
In other Avicii news, a rare auction of his personal belongings recently raised more than $700,000 in support of his family's efforts to advocate for suicide prevention. 267 of his items were auctioned with all proceeds benefiting the Tim Bergling Foundation in its efforts to support young people suffering from mental health issues.
Meanwhile, Avicii – I'm Timan intimate documentary about Avicii's life, comes to Netflix. The film, narrated by the artist himself, will premiere globally on the streaming service on December 31, 2024. Netflix will also premiere. Avicii – My last showwhich narrates his final performance.
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