French DJ Kavinsky Dies at 50
French DJ and producer Kavinsky (born Vincent Belorgey) has died at age 50. According to NME, police found his body at his Paris home around 10:30pm local time on Tuesday, July 28, after neighbors alerted emergency services having not seen him enter or leave the building for several days. French outlet Le Figaro reports the cause of death is believed to be a stroke; in the days before his death, he had reportedly told people close to him that he was suffering from severe headaches.
What police have said
Per Far Out, Paris police said in a statement that an investigation has been opened "to determine the cause of death," adding that officers who responded to the scene "found no suspicious signs."
French broadcaster CANAL+ posted a tribute on social media, calling him an unmissable figure of the French Touch scene, and noting his signature track "Nightcall" as the iconic centerpiece of the Drive soundtrack.
"Nightcall" and Drive
Kavinsky is best known for "Nightcall," which featured prominently on the soundtrack to the 2011 Ryan Gosling film Drive. The original vocals were performed by CSS frontwoman Lovefoxxx; a 2013 cover by London Grammar helped the song reach a wider audience. The Weeknd later sampled the track, and the two artists went on to formally collaborate on "Odd Luck." Avenged Sevenfold used the song as their tour opener in 2024.
Kavinsky performed "Nightcall" live at the closing ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics, after which the track reportedly set a record for the most Shazam searches in a single day.
Release timeline
- 2013: Released his debut album as Kavinsky, OutRun
- Post-2013: A long gap with no new releases
- 2022: Returned with the album Reborn