Oliver Tree, the Santa Cruz-born singer and internet personality known for the songs “Life Goes On” and “Miss You,” has died in a helicopter crash in Brazil. He was 32.
Tree, who performed at Outside Lands in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park in 2022, was among six people killed Sunday, June 14, when two helicopters collided over Rio de Janeiro, according to Brazilian news reports.
The crash happened in Recreio dos Bandeirantes, a neighborhood in western Rio. Rio’s Military Fire Department said one of the helicopters crashed into a car dealership, where parked electric vehicles caught fire.
The cause of the crash remained under investigation Sunday.
Brazilian outlet Poder360 reported that Rio Civil Police confirmed Tree was among the victims.
A representative for Tree had not publicly confirmed his death as of Sunday afternoon.
Born Oliver Tree Nickell on June 29, 1993, Tree built a following with a mix of alternative pop, electronic music, comedy and online spectacle. He became known for his distinctive bowl-mullet haircut, oversize clothing and absurdist videos, as well as songs including “Alien Boy,” “Hurt,” “When I’m Down,” “Life Goes On” and “Miss You.”
Tree first gained wider attention in 2016 after “When I’m Down,” a collaboration with producer Whethan, spread online. He later signed with Atlantic Records and released albums including “Ugly Is Beautiful,” “Cowboy Tears” and “Alone in a Crowd.”
His latest album, “Love You Madly Hate You Badly,” was released this spring, according to his official website. Tree’s tour schedule listed a June 6 show in São Paulo and a July 1 performance in Lisbon, with later dates scheduled in Santa Cruz and Oakland.
Tree also directed many of his own music videos, which often mixed physical comedy, exaggerated characters and surreal visual gags. In 2020, Guinness World Records recognized him for creating the world’s largest kick scooter, a 13-foot, 7.9-inch vehicle built in Los Angeles.
The crash also killed Argentine YouTuber Gaspar Prim, Lucas Vignale, Lucas Brito Chaves and pilots Alexandre Souza and Charles Marsillac, according to CNN Brasil.