Pioneering DJ Kavinsky, famed for his hit song Nightcall, performed at the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics in 2024 and featured in the 2011 Ryan Gosling film Drive
French DJ Kavinsky has died at the age of just 50. The electro-house and synthwave star was sadly found dead at his home in Paris on Tuesday (July 28) by authorities.
The iconic DJ, whose real name was Vincent Belorgey, was famed for his hit song Nightcall. The hit, which has amassed over 500 million streams on Spotify, featured in the 2011 action film Drive, starring Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan.
He performed the iconic track at the Paris 2024 Olympics closing ceremony. Kavinsky also toured and opened for fellow French music legends Daft Punk on their 2007 Alive tour.
An investigation into his cause of death has been launched but it would appear no foul play is suspected at this time. The Paris prosecutor’s office said: “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 DJ was found dead at his home, according to Reuters and French media outlets. French newspaper Le Figaro has reported that Kavinsky had been complaining of headaches for several days prior to his death.
Tributes to Kavinsky have poured in, including from French President Emmanual Macron who described him as “a source of French pride forever”.
Culture Minister Catherine Pégard wrote on X: “With the sudden passing of Kavinsky, France has lost one of its most unique voices.”
She added: “From the film Drive to the Paris Olympics, the whole world was moved by Nightcall . Both danceable and nostalgic, his music will continue to transcend generations and borders.”
Kavinsky is a character with red eyes and blue skin made by Belorgey, who was inspired by electropop movie soundtracks in the 1980s. The artist said that he wanted to create the character as he had little interest in showing his face on a record sleeve.
He once said: “Kavinsky is a character I created because just putting my face on a record sleeve isn’t something that suits me. […] Showing my own face holds absolutely no interest for me. I’d much rather make music and tell a story, because for me music is linked to images.
“When I’m making music, I have images in my head of films and television shows I liked when I was little. So I created this story that mixes all those memories together.”
Have you joined Threads? Follow Daily Star to keep up to date on all things showbiz here .
Want all the biggest Showbiz and TV news straight to your inbox? Sign up for our free Daily Star Showbiz newsletter.
