YouTuber KSI has paid an emotional tribute to US singer and “legend” Oliver Tree, who is believed to have died after two helicopters collided in Rio de Janeiro. The American singer-songwriter, who collaborated with KSI on the song Voices and is known for the track Miss You, was listed as being on board a helicopter that crashed over the Brazilian city on Sunday morning, according to the Associated Press (AP). He was one of six people killed when the two helicopters collided and crashed in the city’s western zone, firefighters said.
Rio de Janeiro’s Military Fire Department reported that one of the helicopters crashed onto a car dealership where several electric vehicles were parked, igniting a fire that was later extinguished. Tree was on the list of passengers handed to aviation authorities, police said, but they have not been able to identify the bodies of those killed in the crash.
In a post shared on X, Britain’s Got Talent judge KSI said: “Can’t believe I’m actually having to type this. You’re 32 man. You should still be here. You still had so much life to live. So much music to make. So much content to make. You’re a legend and will always be a legend. Still doesn’t feel real. Genuinely feel sick. I love you bro.”
The 32-year-old was only weeks into his World’s First World Tour, where he had planned to play shows on all seven continents. He performed in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on June 4, and on Saturday shared a video on his Instagram playing football in a Brazilian neighbourhood. Tree was due to play more than 70 shows across 30 countries, including the UK, with dates scheduled in Glasgow, Manchester, and London in September.
Recognisable by his signature bowl cut, Tree was known for his songs Life Goes On and When I’m Down. He released his fourth studio album, Love You Madly, Hate You Badly, in April. Jackass star Steve-O, real name Stephen Glover, paid tribute to the late singer in a post on Instagram. Sharing a photograph of the two together, the US comedian and prankster said: “I was incredibly lucky to become friends with Oliver Tree. He would check in on me regularly, and let me know he cared about how I was doing. Such a great person, f***, I’m going to miss him…”
In 2024, Tree was nominated for the international song Brit award alongside German producer Robin Schulz for their song Miss You. The track peaked at number three in the UK singles chart. In 2020, he broke the Guinness world record for the largest kick scooter, measuring 0.16m tall and 3.13m long. According to its website, the record was broken to “fulfil a lifelong dream”.
According to AP, content creator Gaspar Prim Diaz, also known as Gaspi, was also believed to have been in one of the helicopters. Gaspi had more than 2.8 million followers on YouTube and was 23. In a tribute shared on X, Argentine streaming channel Blender said: “Thanks for your art, your magic and your sensibility, every one of us will miss you.” Officials said an investigation is under way to determine the cause of the collision.
