Oliver Tree, 32, Killed in Mid-Air Helicopter Collision in Brazil

Singer-songwriter Oliver Tree, known for tracks including “Life Goes On” and “Miss You,” has died in a helicopter crash in Brazil at the age of 32.

The Rio de Janeiro Civil Police confirmed the news on June 14, identifying Tree as one of six people killed when two helicopters collided in mid-air over the Recreio dos Bandeirantes area. Authorities said the cause of the crash is still under investigation.

According to CNN Brazil, Tree was one of four passengers aboard one of the aircraft, alongside Mucas Vignale, Gaspar Prim and Lucas Brito Chaves. The pilots of both helicopters, Alexandre Souza and Charles Marsillac, were also killed.

Tree first gained widespread attention in 2017 with the viral hit “When I’m Down,” building a devoted following through his mix of alternative pop, surreal humour and a highly distinctive visual style marked by his bowl cut and oversized clothing.

Born Oliver Tree Nickell in Santa Cruz, California, on June 29, 1993, he spent several years developing independent music projects before signing with Atlantic Records in 2017. His debut album, Ugly Is Beautiful, arrived in 2020 and featured the platinum-certified single “Hurt,” helping establish him as a crossover artist.

NME wrote of the album: “Injecting humour into everything he does while offering a surrealist escape from the mundane everyday – it’s easy to see how Tree’s outlandishness has made him the digital age’s definitive rockstar.”

His 2022 album Cowboy Tears explored country influences, while 2023’s Alone In A Crowd included the sped-up hit “Miss You,” his collaboration with Robin Schulz.

NME also highlighted Tree as one of the standout performers at Governors Ball 2023, writing: “If you want to laugh and dance at the same time, look no further than Oliver Tree. Known for his stage antics and viral, sped-up TikTok hits like ‘Miss You’, the California performer is already ready to light up the stage with his bowl cut. The meme machine is a pro at merging irony, humour and delight into his sets, so if you’re in the mood for something unforgettable, you’ll want to be there when he brings his one-of-a-kind energy to Gov Ball.”

Tree had been touring in Brazil this week, performing at the Studio Stage in São Paulo on June 6 as part of his “Love You Madly, Hate You Badly World’s First World Tour,” named after his fourth album, which was released in April.

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