David Guetta Leads Tributes After DJ Kavinsky Dies at 50
After the death of a French electro-house DJ artist known as Kavinsky, his fans, friends, and even his family shared their heartfelt grief with the family. Vincent Belorgey was Kavinsky’s stage name. A DJ and producer who is 44 years old saw worldwide recognition after releasing his electro house track ‘Nightcall.’ As a standalone music single in a year called 2010, he released it. Following the use of the track in the stylized neo-noir crime thriller film “Drive,” the film helped the track become really popular. So much was the demand to identify that classic synthwave track he played at the closing ceremony of the Paris 2024 Games on the last day that it became the most “Shazamed” song of that time, not only being the “Shazamed” song of that period but also the most “Shazamed” tune in one hour, according to Shazam.
Singer and collaborator The Weeknd dedicated a message to Kavinsky as “an inspiration,” and at the wall, the French DJ, David Guetta, wrote that they would miss Kavinsky, whom they have seen as “a true icon of the French electronic music scene.” Guetta added, “Thank you for a sound that was uniquely your own and for leaving behind music that will definitely keep coming up to inspire.”
Then there are the sincere wishes for the kind heart of the late great: “Thank you for your kindness and simplicity.” French President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to a man who was “a permanent source of French pride,” he said in his official post. Culture Ministry official Ms. Catherine Pegard lamented on her X/Twitter account that Kavinsky was “a voice that France cannot afford to lose, one of her most original ones in the blink of an eye.”
Kavinsky’s Death Under Investigation After Being Found at Home
She also said, “The Nightcall song managed to touch people from the movie Drive all the way to the Paris Olympics. His music will still keep people dancing and remembering, crossing different generations and languages as time goes by.” According to a release from the Paris public prosecutor’s department, Mr. Kavinsky was discovered dead in his residence there, according to Reuters and French media outlets. The BBC has reached out to the DJ’s agents to verify and confirm.
French paper Le Figaro states that it was learned through contacts that Kavinsky had several headaches in a row. As to the cause of death, it is possible he might have had a stroke.
There was no sign of anything odd or suspicious in the house when the rescue teams and then Paris prosecutors first looked. The paper stated that an inquiry has been started and the death will be investigated thoroughly.
He was Remembered as ‘An Inspiration’ After Death at 50
The Starboy artist and singer, Abel Tesfaye, left a message of condolence on X that went like, “So heartbreaking to hear the news. “An inspiration to so many, including me. Besides that, I’ll also keep paying tribute in the name of your music and your legacy. May you rest in peace, Kavinsky.”
Prior to the incident, Belorgey explained in an interview to a local journal back then that he had decided to go anonymous with the Kavinsky persona because it did not fit him to put a live picture on a vinyl record. “I have absolutely no interest in showing my face,” was how he put it.
“The best part is getting lost in music and having it all narrated. In my view, music is a form of artwork. When I write music, my mind is taken to a different place, and it’s mostly my childhood that I’m reminded of. I start by drawing mental images of the various movies and TV scenes from childhood that are still fresh in my memory. Then I put all those different pictures together, and through this I get my story. Parliament of Paris, the mayor of Paris, Emmanuel Gregoire, expressed his “great sadness” over the loss.
“An artist of Paris who carried the flag of French electronic music all the way to the world, creating that unique music that is at the same time nostalgic yet modern,” wrote the mayor. “At such a time of sad memories, I wish all the best to his family, closest ones, and people whose lives were touched and changed by his music.”
