American singer Oliver Tree has tragically died in a helicopter collision in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, just months before his scheduled UK tour. The 32-year-old artist, whose real name was Oliver Tree Nickel, was among six people killed when two helicopters crashed over an electric vehicle yard in the city's Southwest district on Sunday.
Details of the Crash
The incident occurred in Recreio dos Bandeirantes, where two aircraft—registration numbers PP-MAC and PR-DJJ—collided. Other victims included Lucas Vignale, Gaspar Prim, Lucas Brito Chaves, and pilots Alexandre Souza and Charles Marsillac. The Brazilian Air Force's Center for Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents (CENIPA) dispatched investigators from the Third Regional Service for Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents (SERIPA III) to conduct an initial assessment.
Local Civil Police have launched an investigation and called for a forensic examination of the crash site. The fire brigade, Traffic Engineering Company, Comlurb, and teams from the 31st BPM are also operating in the area.
Tributes Pour In
Dutch DJ and producer Oliver Heldens, a friend of Tree, paid tribute on social media, sharing a photo of the duo in Tokyo. Heldens wrote: "I can not believe it... Rest in peace brother, you were one of a kind and you'll be truly missed @olivertree. See you again in another life."
Oliver Tree's Career
Oliver Tree was known for hits like Miss You and Life Goes On. He rose to prominence at age 17, collaborating with Skrillex and Zeds Dead under the stage name Tree. He later released his first independent album, Spilling Branches, and joined the band Irony as lead vocalist and guitarist.
After signing with RandS Records, he released the EP Demons in 2013, which caught the attention of Radiohead's Thom Yorke, who praised his cover of Karma Police. Tree then took a break from music to study music technology at the California Institute of the Arts before returning in 2016.
His debut album, Ugly Is Beautiful, released in July 2020, reached number 32 in the UK charts and number 13 on the US Billboard 200, topping the Alt and Rock charts in the US. He left Atlantic Records earlier this year and launched his own label, Alien Boy Records, releasing his latest album Love You Madly Hate You Badly on April 24.
Upcoming Tour
Tree was touring South America as part of The World's First Tour, having performed in São Paulo days before his death. He was scheduled to perform in Lisbon on July 1, followed by European dates in Spain, Italy, Australia, Slovakia, and Hungary. His UK tour was set for September, with shows in Glasgow, Manchester, and London.
