With the music world reeling from the tragic news of the death of the Sweedish superstar EDM artist Avicii (real name Tim Bergling) at age 28, we take a look at the amazing Irish woman who managed his tours, Ciara Davey.
Avicii forever changed the world of EDM with his unforgettable tunes like "Levels" and "Wake Me Up." In a statement today, publicist Diana Baron shared the devastating news that he had been found dead in Muscat, Oman.
"It is with profound sorrow that we announce the loss of Tim Bergling, also known as Avicii," the statement read. "The family is devastated and we ask everyone to please respect their need for privacy in this difficult time. No further statements will be given."
Read More: Remember Avicii with this stunning performance of Wake Me Up in Irish
Avicii, who had suffered from a number of health issues thought to be linked to his intense, hard-partying lifestyle, had retired from live performing in 2016, posting a message to fans on his website:
“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. That is what I live for, what I feel I was born to do.
Last year I quit performing live, and many of you thought that was it. But the end of live never meant the end of Avicii or my music. Instead, I went back to the place where it all made sense – the studio.
The next stage will be all about my love of making music to you guys. It is the beginning of something new.
Hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I do.”
But prior to this, his non-stop tours, which would see him jetting around the world 250 nights out of the year, were organized by an Irish woman named Ciara Davey.
The jetsetting lifestyle of Avicii’s former tour manager @ciaradavey #howmusicworkshttps://t.co/7Huz6r3Qma pic.twitter.com/RzCxuHisBG
— Nialler9 (@Nialler9) February 28, 2017
Davey was Avicii's tour manager from 2012 to 2015. An infamous GQ profile on the music superstar in 2013 described her as a "no-nonsense Irishwoman," always looking out for Avicii and the tour.
In an interview last year with Niall Byrne of Nialler9, Davey, who has also worked with Prince, The Script, The Cranberries, and Enya, talked about how she hadn't known of Avicii before she got the call to work for him.
“I’d never heard of him, I wasn’t really into EDM. I was told that he was going to be the next big thing. So I said yeah, it was my first US tour and I wanted the experience. When I made it out there, I found myself with a lot more responsibility on my plate then I expected, so I ran with it and his management noticed. By the end of the summer, I got a call to go out and tour manage Tim at Austin City Limits.”
Of the grueling demands of life on the road with him, she said: "Anything can happen while on the road, you need to be adaptable and thick-skinned, especially when manning the office that everyone goes to for all of the answers.”
She also spoke beautifully of how happy he made his fans:
“I loved the excitement of the crowds and how he could make thousands of people instantaneously happy. I’m so proud to have been a part of that.”
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