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Tim Bergling was a musician at the top of his game.

Sell-out crowds, a stream of hit singles and sharing the stage with some of the biggest names in the industry - as Avicii there were few bigger artists on the planet.

But suddenly, and seemingly without warning to his millions of fans, the DJ quit and announced he was retiring from performing live.

In an emotional open letter to fans he said: "I know I am blessed to be able to travel all around the world and perform, but I have too little left for the life of a real person behind the artist.

"My path has been filled with success but it hasn't come without its bumps.

(Image: BBC)

"I've become an adult while growing as an artist, I've come to know myself better and realise that there's so much I want to do with my life.

"I have strong interests in different areas but there's so little time to explore them."

He took the opportunity to thank his brother and manager Ash, his team, artists and musicians he's worked with and fans.

Tim added: "But last but not least thank you to every fan who has ever bought a ticket or snuck in, bought a song or downloaded it, commented on posts or hated at them.

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"It's your thoughts and ideas about the music that helped me evolve and I do owe everything I have to you."

But it seems not everyone was happy with the decision.

Despite his friends describing him as a "ticking timebomb" before he took to the stage for a set, his management still tried to force him to keep touring.

One pal said: "He is like a shell of what he used to be. The guy I used to know isn't there any more."

(Image: BBC)

Tim himself issued a chilling plea to those pushing him to keep performing live.

In backstage footage, shown in Avicii: True Stories on BBC Three, he says: "I have told them I don't want to play anymore, that it will kill me.

"I don't want to even entertain the idea of doing another gig."

While the decision may have come totally out of the blue for those who had followed the career of the DJ from Stockholm, in reality Tim had been struggling with fame for years.

(Image: BBC)

A self-confessed shy man, who hated being in the limelight, Tim found his constant schedule of touring gruelling.

Over the course of eight years he played a massive 813 shows and it had taken its toll on the music prodigy.

He said: "In the beginning I was too afraid to drink before shows because I was afraid I'd screw it up but I realised I was too stiff so I started having a couple of drinks before going on.

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"I saw other DJs drinking, who had been doing that for 10 years for every show."

During the Australian leg on one of his tours Tim was taken seriously ill with crippling stomach pains and had to be rushed to hospital.

He was diagnosed with pancreatitis and told he was not well enough to perform.

Tim eventually had his gall bladder and appendix removed but was already taking a cocktail of painkillers and medication to help him cope with the symptoms.

(Image: BBC)

But still the tour kept rolling.

Heartbreakingly, Tim said: "I didn't believe I could slow down and I didn't believe I could tour differently to the way I was.

"I could see other people doing what I was doing and they were fine.

"I started to feel crazy. I had everything on the checklist so I should be happy.

(Image: BBC)

"I didn't give myself time to stop and recover, not just from the pain and the medication but also the illness and all the years of touring and stress. I just kept going."

By 2015, Tim was battling anxiety while he constantly toured and tried to work on his second album, the hugely successful Stories.

He said: "There was never an end to the shows, even when I gave myself a few months off I couldn't relax because my mind was always focused on when I was going to start touring again."

Desperate, he cancelled all his shows for the next eight months and gave himself some time away from the live scene to work on his album.

(Image: BBC)

But by 2016 he was feeling better and decided to hit the road again.

Instantly it became apparent the same issues that had previously plagued him hadn't gone away.

He said: "I've been away for six months and I've done everything I can and straight away I'm stressed and I still don't like performing.

"I don't know how to explain to people that my life is all about stress."

(Image: Getty Images)

That's when he snaps and makes the decision to retire from live performances.

Despite agreeing to complete the rest of the dates already booked in on his tour it soon becomes clear that this is too much for Tim, who has already had months of therapy to help him with his anxiety.

He explains he doesn't care about the money he will lose and that he just wants to escape the "constant stress".

Tim's long-term manager, Arash Pournouri, desperately tries to persuade him to reconsider his decision.

(Image: FilmMagic)

Speaking to the documentary, Arash says: "Anyone who goes from being in school to having a career and being successful misses a big part of growing up.

"He doesn't understand the value of money or that people only care because he's successful."

Tim, close to breaking point, is adamant that he can't carry on.

The reaction of those around him leaves him devastated.

(Image: BBC)

In heartbreaking footage the DJ says: "When I decided to stop I was expecting support, especially with what I have been through and I have been very open with everyone I work with.

"I've been very open about what I have felt and everyone knows that I have been anxious and that I have been trying.

"I didn't expect people to push me to do more shows when they knew how s***** I felt."

Just a month after retiring, Tim seemed to be on the road to recovery.

(Image: BBC)

In a poignant interview he said: "It's only been a month since I did my last show and I feel like I did when I was 18."

Just two years later, on April 20, 2018, he had taken his own life.

Following his tragically early death, Tim's family released a moving open letter to his fans.

It said: "Our beloved Tim was a seeker, a fragile artistic soul searching for answers to existential questions.

(Image: BBC)

"An over-achieving perfectionist who travelled 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.

"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."