The world music scene was shaken by the news of the death of Oliver Tree, renowned singer, director and producer. The artist, known for hits such as “Life Goes On” and “Miss You”, the latter in partnership with Robin Schulz, was 32 years old.
Tree was among the six fatal victims of a serious plane crash, a collision between two helicopters. The incident occurred on Sunday morning, in Recreio dos Bandeirantes, southwest of Rio de Janeiro, as reported by the Associated Press and CNN Brasil.
The Hollywood Reporter portal sought contact with the musician’s representatives to obtain more information, but had not received any response at the time of publishing this article.
Oliver Tree Nickell came into the world on June 29, 1993, in the city of Santa Cruz, California. His rise to notoriety began in 2016, driven by Vine, where his alter ego “Turbo” stood out with his peculiar bowl haircut, 80s clothing and a performative stance. Later that year, the track “When I’m Down” marked his first big hit, catapulting him to recognition and resulting in the signing of a contract with Atlantic Records in 2017.
His artistic career was marked by the use of multiple characters and different scenic phases. Oliver Tree was also known for employing online provocation tactics and meme-based marketing strategies to boost his music output.
Through Atlantic, Tree has released four studio albums, namely: *Ugly Is Beautiful* (2020), *Cowboy Tears* (2022), *Alone in a Crowd* (2023) and, most recently, *Love You Madly, Hate You Badly*, which reached the public in April. Previously, in 2013, he had already released the independent album *Splitting Branches* under the pseudonym “Tree”.
His discography includes several tracks that became big hits, including “Life Goes On”, “Miss You” (with Robin Schulz), “Cash Machine”, “Alien Boy”, “Hurt” and “Jerk”, among other notable compositions.
In addition to his work as a composer and music producer, Tree demonstrated a deep interest in directing. He often directed his own music videos, which became famous for their unique, performative style. Two of her most viewed visual works include “Life Goes On”, which has accumulated more than 464 million views on YouTube, and “Miss You”, with more than 382 million views on the same platform.
Away from the entertainment spotlight, Oliver Tree also achieved an unusual feat: in 2020, he won the Guinness World Record for building the largest electric scooter on the planet.
Recently, on June 6, Oliver Tree performed in São Paulo, Brazil, as part of the world tour to promote his newest album, *Love You Madly, Hate You Badly*. The next stage of their schedule included a show in Lisbon, Portugal, scheduled for July 1st.
CNN Brasil confirmed the identities of the other victims of the accident: passengers Lucas Vignale, Gaspar Prim and Lucas Brito Chaves, as well as pilots Alexandre Souza and Charles Marsillac. A detailed investigation is underway to determine the causes of the tragic collision.
