Tragic helicopter crash claims the lives of musician Oliver Tree and five others
Oliver Tree, 32, was promoting his tour of Brazil and the well-known YouTuber Gaspar Prim was traveling with him.
The renowned American musician and producer Oliver Tree, 32, died this Sunday in a crash between two helicopters that occurred in the southwest of Rio de Janeiro, as confirmed by local authorities.
The accident took place on an electric vehicle depot in the Recreio dos Bandeirantes area. According to information from CNN Brazil, citing the Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro, Tree was traveling aboard one of the aircraft with four other people, while the second helicopter was operated solely by its pilot. In total, six people lost their lives in the accident.
The fatalities have been identified by the local media Metrópoles. On the helicopter in which Oliver Tree was traveling were passengers Lucas Vignale, Gaspar Prim, a renowned YouTuber of Argentine origin, Lucas Brito Chaves and the pilot Alexandre Souza.
Pilot Charles Marsillac, who was flying alone, died in the other aircraft. Authorities have already launched an investigation to determine the exact causes of the collision.
Musical career and legacy
Oliver Tree Nickell, known artistically as Oliver Tree, rose to fame in 2010, when at just 17 years old he began collaborating with electronic figures such as Skrillex and Zeds Dead under the name “Tree.” In 2013 he released an independent album, before taking a break to study music technology.
His consecration came in 2020 with his first studio album, “Ugly Is Beautiful”, which was certified gold in the United States. The single “Life Goes On,” included on that album, went platinum. Subsequently, he published the albums “Cowboy Tears”, “Alone in a Crowd” and “Love You Madly Hate You Badly”, the latter released in April of this year.
Tree had a busy performance schedule that would begin on July 1 in Lisbon, Portugal, and that included dates in the United States, Europe, Australia and China.
At only 32 years old, the artist's departure generated a wave of reactions on social networks and in the music industry, where he was remembered both for his eccentric visual style and for his ability to fuse pop, rock and electronics.