Rita Ora pays emotional tribute to Avicii during festival performance
'[He] changed my life and he was a really good friend of mine'
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Rita Ora paid tribute to late friend and collaborator Avicii during her performance at the King's Day celebrations in the Netherlands.
The Swedish musician, real-name Tim Bergling, was found dead at the age of 28 at a hotel in Muscat, Oman on Friday 20 April. His cause of death is yet to be announced, but two post-mortem examinations have been conducted and police are not treating it with criminal suspicion.
He retired from touring in 2016, following a period of ill health. In a recent statement, his family said he retired because “he wanted to find a balance in life to be happy and be able to do what he loved most – music.”
During her set on Friday (27 April), a visibly moved Rita Ora led the crowd in a minute silence before performing their single "Lonely Together". She told the crowd it was an "honour" to work with him, adding: "[He] changed my life and he was a really good friend of mine."
"It's going to be very hard for me to sing this next song," she said. "We collaborated on the last song that he released together – can you all please join me in having a minute of silence... because he was one of my dearest friends."
Tributes poured in from across the music industry for Bergling, with DJ Calvin Harris responding to the news with a tweet that read: “Devastating news about Avicii, a beautiful soul, passionate and extremely talented with so much more to do. My heart goes out to his family. God bless you Tim x.”
“Such sad news to hear about Avicii passing. Too young and way too soon. My condolences go out to his family, friends and fans x,” wrote Dua Lipa.
Skrillex, who previously remixed Avicii’s worldwide hit “Levels”, also posted a tribute to social media, calling the artist “a genius and an innovator, yet sensitive and humble.”
Rita Ora herself posted at the time: "I have no words. I remember how amazing it was to make Lonely Together and it felt like just yesterday we were talking. Condolences to Avicii's family, friends, and the fans who supported him. May he rest in peace. Gone too soon. I’m devastated. Heartbroken."
Follow Independent Culture on Facebook for all the latest on Film, TV, Music, and more.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments