Sunday 29 April 2018

RIP Avicii


So Dom Joly answered Popbitch's Baboon vs Badger question. Insightful.

RIP Avicii AKA Tim Bergling. The cause of death is still officially 'unknown,' although it's rumoured he was struggling and was likely a suicide. His problems- depression- are issues that affect 1 in 3 people. I can't help think that even if there were depression support groups in Avicii's home town like the one I attend, it would have been difficult for him to access that support given his schedule and celebrity status.

Every time a famous person takes their own life- which is pretty frequently- I'm reminded of a book signing I once attended with journalist Neil Strauss. He'd just released Everyone Loves You When You're Dead, an account of his many celebrity interviews an encounters, and what he'd learned from being a small part of so many of their lives.

'Fame won't make you feel any better about yourself. Many celebrities who work hard for their success believe that celebrity and money will resolve their feelings of insignificance, insecurity, worthlessness, or disconnection. But, like Eric Clapton and Brian Wilson, they soon learn that rather than fixing one's flaws, fame- and the “leap of consciousness” it takes to deal with it- magnifies them.'

At a book signing I heard Strauss explain that, if you're planning on getting famous, it's best to sort out your problems before you get plucked from obscurity.

You might be familiar with Wake Me Up and other more recent songs Avicii made. I was more a fan of his earlier, piano-based tracks.




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