Kriti Mehrotra
With Netflix’s ‘Avicii – I’m Tim’ exploring how a shy young man from Sweden became one of the biggest names in the electronic music industry, we get a documentary unlike any other. That’s because it actually tells us his story in his own words with the help of archival footage and through the eyes of those who loved him via exclusive interviews. Amongst those to feature in this original are none other than his kind, loving parents, Klas Bergling and Anki Lidén, whose presence in his life made him the man he was.
Klas Bergling and Anki Lidén Were Always Supportive of Their Son
Although it’s unclear when Klas Bergling and Anki Lidén paths crossed in life or when exactly they got together, we do know they were excited to build a family together by the time the mid-1980s rolled around. Their eldest was essentially Anki’s son from a previous relationship, Dan Anton Fabian Körberg (born on November 24, 1977), followed by David Bergling, Linda Sterner, and Tim Bergling. By this point, they were both thriving in their respective careers, too; while Klas was a proud entrepreneur running an office supply business, Anki was an actress through and through.
Therefore, it comes as no surprise the couple was able to give their kids the lives they desired without any issues and offered them unwavering support, no matter their dreams. In fact, Tim once even said he had the perfect parents. As per his accounts in the aforementioned original, they never made him feel bad about who he was or what he wanted to do, even when they were admittedly worried about him. In fact, they let him follow the creative oath in the limelight with nothing but support despite knowing he was a sensitive and insecure man.
Klas Bergling and Anki Lidén Did Everything In Their Power For Avicii
When Tim was just a young boy starting high school, he was admittedly a brutally honest class clown as a way to hide his insecurity, and he didn’t have many friends before then, either. Therefore, to help him deal with his internal issues, his parents actually started taking him to a therapist when he was just 14 years old before gently pushing him to do whatever he wanted to do. However, because they did worry, they told him he had one year after graduation to carve his own creative path, only for him to succeed at it at a level no one could have ever even imagined.
It was during this period that Klas and Anki really realized how passionate their son really was towards music because even though he had survived on ramen and spaghetti for most of this time, he was happy to do so. Therefore, their support gradually evolved into explicit belief in him, too, which further pushed him to succeed because he knew he would always have his parents as well as his siblings in his corner. After all, thanks to the way the couple raised their kids with equal love, affection, adoration, and beliefs, there were little to no sibling rivalries – there was just love between the entire family.
Therefore, by the time 2014 rolled around, and it became evident that Tim — better known to the world as Avicii by this point — was struggling with addiction and anxiety, they all came together. They held an intervention for him not once but twice, which seemed to be doing wonders for him by the time 2018 rolled around – he was actively making music again after two years and seemed healthy, happy, and at peace. But alas, little did they know that he was still battling his own internal demons, so they were heartbroken to learn he had reportedly taken his own life in a Muscat, Oman, hotel during a holiday on April 20, 2018.
Klas Bergling and Anki Lidén Continue To Keep Avicii’s Memories Alive
While a representative of Aicii’s family initially stated they were dealing with this tragic turn of events in private and wanted people to respect their silence, they themselves made a public statement on April 26. They said, “Our beloved Tim was a seeker, a fragile artistic soul searching for answers to existential questions. An over-achieving perfectionist who traveled and worked hard at a pace that led to extreme stress. When he stopped touring, he wanted to find a balance in life to be able to be happy and to do what he loved most – music. He really struggled with thoughts about Meaning, Life, Happiness. He could now not go on any longer. He wanted to find peace.”
The family continued, “Tim was not made for the business machine he found himself in; he was a sensitive guy who loved his fans but shunned the spotlight. Tim, you will forever be loved and sadly missed. The person you were and your music will keep your memory alive. We love you, The Family.” On June 8, once authorities confirmed there was no foul play involved and the family could take him home, they held a private funeral with “the people who were closest to him” at the Skogskyrkogården cemetery in Stockholm. The artist was then laid to rest at the nearby Hedvig Eleonora Church.
Since then, the family has actually established the Tim Bergling Foundation (March 2019) to honor his memory, continue his legacy, and raise awareness about mental health issues. All the proceeds from Avicii’s posthumous album ‘Tim’ (June 6, 2019) also went to this foundation to help expand their operations, and Klas and Anki remain utterly devoted to it to this day. They are thus actively working towards ensuring that Avicii’s fans now know him beyond his stage name and work, too, and have a 50-year plan to cement his legacy. They are holding tribute concerts in the way Tim wanted his music to be heard, supporting Sweden’s new national suicide prevention hotline, and doing their best to keep his genuine memories alive by also participating in projects like Netflix’s ‘Avicii – I’m Tim.’
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