French DJ Kavinsky dies aged 50

French DJ and electropop musician Kavinsky, renowned for his hit song ‘Nightcall’ that was featured in a Ryan Gosling movie, has been found ᴅᴇᴀᴅ in his Paris home. 

The artist, whose real name was Vincent Belorgey, was aged 50. 

He was found ᴅᴇᴀᴅ in his apartment on Tuesday evening, the Paris prosecutor said. 

Authorities have opened an investigation into his death, but no foul play is suspected. 

French President Emmanuel Macron led tributes to the artist today, writing on X that he was ‘a source of French pride forever’.

‘An inquiry into the cause of death has been opened to determine the circumstances of the death, as first responders found no suspicious elements at the scene,’ the prosecutor’s office said in a statement. 

According to French newspaper Le Parisien, the possibility that he died from a stroke is being considered after it emerged that he had been complaining of headaches in the days leading up to his death.  

While Kavinsky has long been an icon in France’s electronic music scene, he gained international recognition from his 2010 anthem ‘Nightcall’, which was made famous by the movie ‘Drive’, featuring Ryan Gosling. 

‘Nightcall changed my life,’ Kavinsky told French newspaper Le Parisien in 2022.

Pictured: French DJ Kavinsky performs on stage during the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games Closing Ceremony at the Stade de France, in Saint-Denis, in the outskirts of Paris, on September 8, 2024. He was found ᴅᴇᴀᴅ at his Paris home this week

He performed the song at the closing ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games alongside Belgian pop singer Angele. 

Beyond ‘Nightcall’, the DJ built a fanbase through his repertoire of tracks,  including ‘Testarossa Autodrive,’ ‘ProtoVision,’ ‘Roadgame’ and ‘Odd Look,’ the latter of which featured a remix collaboration with American singer The Weeknd.

The musician was scheduled to headline the Garten on the Beach festival in Deauville next month. 

Tributes have begun pouring in for the DJ, with French Culture Minister Catherine Pégard saying that the country had lost ‘one of its most unique voices.’

‘From the film Drive to the Paris Olympics, the whole world was captivated by Nightcall,’ the minister wrote on X. 

‘Both danceable and nostalgic, his music will continue to transcend generations and borders,’ she added.  

Born Vincent Belogrey, the DJ rose to fame by blending electronic music with sounds inspired by 1980s film soundtracks and video games. 

This is a breaking news story, more to follow.