Singer Oliver Tree died at age 32 on June 14, 2026, when two helicopters collided mid-air over Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, killing all six people aboard the aircraft. Local Civil Police confirmed the tragedy to CNN Brazil.
The helicopters crashed over an electric vehicle dealership in Recreio dos Bandeirantes in the southwest zone of Rio, setting at least 20 cars ablaze at the crash site. Tree was identified as one of six casualties in the collision.
The other victims included passengers Lucas Vignale, Gaspar Prim (an Argentinian YouTuber known online as Gaspi), and Lucas Brito Chaves, as well as pilots Alexandre Souza and Charles Marsillac. According to reports, Tree was aboard one helicopter with four other people including Vignale, Prim, Chaves, and pilot Souza, while the second aircraft was piloted by Marsillac alone.
A police source told AFP that the victims could not be formally identified immediately as they were badly burned in the crash. A formal investigation is underway to determine the cause of the collision, with Civil Police requesting a forensic examination of the scene.
The National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) expressed regret over the tragedy in a statement to CNN Brazil, confirming that the Center for Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents (CENIPA) would investigate the causes. The agency urged all passengers on general aviation flights to verify the status of companies and aircraft before boarding.
Tree was in South America as part of his The World’s First World Tour, a global concert series featuring more than 70 shows across 30 countries on seven continents. He had performed in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on June 4, 2026, and in São Paulo, Brazil, on June 6, 2026. On Saturday, June 13, 2026, he shared a video on Instagram playing football in a Brazilian neighborhood. His next scheduled performance was set for July 1, 2026, in Lisbon, Portugal.
Born Oliver Tree Nickell in Santa Cruz, California, on June 29, 1993, Tree became known for his eccentric fashion sense, signature bowl haircut, and larger-than-life internet persona. He rose to prominence in 2016 on Vine with his alter ego “Turbo,” wearing exaggerated 1980s-style outfits and performing with theatrical flair.
Tree’s musical career began in 2010 after collaborating with electronic music artists Skrillex and Zeds Dead. In 2013, he released an independent album titled “Splitting Branches” under his earlier alias “Tree.” His breakthrough came in 2016 with the release of “When I’m Down,” which led to him signing with Atlantic Records in 2017.
He gained widespread notoriety with his first studio album “Ugly Is Beautiful” in 2020, which went gold in the United States. Tree released three additional studio albums with Atlantic: “Cowboy Tears” in 2022, “Alone in a Crowd” in 2023, and his most recent, “Love You Madly, Hate You Badly,” which dropped in April 2026.
Tree was best known for hit songs including “Life Goes On,” “Miss You” with German producer Robin Schulz, “Alien Boy,” “Cash Machine,” “Hurt,” and “Jerk.” His music video for “Life Goes On” has amassed more than 464 million views on YouTube, while “Miss You” has garnered more than 382 million views. At the time of his death, Tree’s music on Spotify had been streamed more than 700 million times across his most popular tracks, with over 11 million people listening to his songs monthly.
Tree and Robin Schulz received a nomination for the international song BRIT Award in 2024 for their collaboration “Miss You,” which peaked at No. 3 in the UK singles chart.
In addition to writing and producing his music, Tree directed his own music videos, which were known for their highly theatrical and eccentric style. He utilized several different characters and performance eras throughout his career, employing internet trolling and meme marketing to promote his work.
Tree told Billboard in 2023 that stepping out of his artistic comfort zone transformed his career. He said that after years of making music that no one listened to, showing up looking unconventional actually worked and became bigger than his music. He described his experimentation as a mirror held up to society and noted that attempting to create something original rather than derivative is how invention occurs.
Outside of music, Tree set the Guinness World Record in 2020 for the world’s largest kick scooter, measuring 4.16 meters tall and 3.13 meters long. The record website states that he accomplished this to realize a dream he had held since childhood.
Rio de Janeiro’s military fire department responded to the crash scene, extinguishing the fire ignited by the collision. Officials continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the mid-air collision that claimed six lives.
