The music world is in mourning. Oliver Tree, the California-born singer-songwriter beloved for his eccentric style, bowl cut, and genre-blending alternative-pop, has died at the age of 32 following a tragic mid-air helicopter collision over Rio de Janeiro on June 14, 2026.
The collision occurred several miles west of downtown Rio de Janeiro in the beach community of Recreio dos Bandeirantes, killing all six people on board the two helicopters. Tree was in Brazil as part of a world tour, having performed in Buenos Aires on June 4 and posting a video to Instagram just the day before the crash, showing him playing football in a Brazilian neighbourhood.
Tree and four others were in one helicopter — pilot Alexandre Souza, passengers Lucas Vignale, Gaspar Prim, and Lucas Brito Chaves — while only pilot Charles Marsillac flew the other. All six perished. An investigation is currently underway to determine the cause of the collision.
A Career Built on the Internet
Oliver Tree Nickell first began building his fanbase in the early 2010s by self-releasing music online, initially performing under the name “Tree.” He debuted his first EP, Demons, in 2013 under R&S Records, which included a Thom Yorke-approved cover of Radiohead’s Karma Police that earned him his first wave of critical attention. His 2020 debut album Ugly Is Beautiful cemented his place in alternative pop, and he went on to amass a following of nearly 20 million fans across platforms.
Known for hits like Life Goes On, Miss You, and Alien Boy, Tree had become a festival favourite and TikTok phenomenon — a rare internet artist who successfully crossed over into mainstream music.
Tributes Pour In
The outpouring of grief has been immediate. Actor and comedian Whitney Cummings wrote that Tree was “pure love and the best version of what an artist and person can and should be,” adding, “We lost a giant.”
Singer Melanie Martinez, who once dated Tree, wrote on Instagram: “He was so dedicated to his art… His laugh was so contagious and warm.”
Oliver Tree was 32 years old. The music he left behind will outlast the loss.
