Producer and DJ known as Avicii has been found dead

NEW YORK — The Swedish-born producer and DJ known as Avicii has been found dead in Oman.

Publicist Diana Baron said in a statement that the 28-year-old DJ, born Tim Bergling, was in Muscat, Oman.

"The family is devastated and we ask everyone to please respect their need for privacy in this difficult time," the statement said.

Avicii was a pioneer of the contemporary Electronic Dance Movement and a rare DJ capable of worldwide arena tour. He won two MTV Music Awards, one Billboard Music Award and earned two Grammy nominations. His biggest hit was "Le7els."

His death comes just days after he was nominated for a Billboard Music Award for top dance/electronic album for his EP "Avicii (01)."

His hits include "Wake Me Up!" ''The Days" and "You Make Me." He is the subject of the 2017 Levan Tsikurishvil documentary "Avicii: True Stories."

Avicii had in the past suffered acute pancreatitis, in part due to excessive drinking. After having his gallbladder and appendix removed in 2014, he canceled a series of shows in attempt to recover. He quit touring in 2016 but continued making music in the studio.

"It's been a very crazy journey. I started producing when I was 16. I started touring when I was 18. From that point on, I just jumped into 100 percent," Avicii told Billboard magazine in 2016.

"When I look back on my life, I think: whoa, did I do that? It was the best time of my life in a sense. It came with a price - a lot of stress a lot of anxiety for me - but it was the best journey of my life."

The DJ explained in a 2017 posting on his site that he had no intention of giving up music completely, writing “We all reach a point in our lives and careers where we understand what matters the most to us.”

“For me it’s creating music,” he wrote. “That is what I live for, what I feel I was born to do.”

Avicii also wrote that he was heading back into the studio to make more art.

“The next stage will be all about my love of making music to you guys. It is the beginning of something new,” his posting said. “Hope you´ll enjoy it as much as I do.”

Fellow musicians took to social media on Friday to mourn his death.

“Devastating news about Avicii, a beautiful soul, passionate and extremely talented with so much more to do,” fellow superstar DJ Calvin Harris tweeted. “My heart goes out to his family. God bless you Tim.”