Oliver Tree, the 32-year-old singer, director, and record producer, died in a midair collision between two helicopters in the Recreio dos Bandeirantes district of Rio de Janeiro. The incident occurred on Sunday morning, according to reports from CNN Brazil and the Associated Press. Tree was among six people who lost their lives, all identified as crew members of the two aircraft, as confirmed by the fire department and local police.

Collaborators and Fans Pay Tribute

Tree’s death has sent shockwaves through the music and online communities. Singer Tia Cummings shared a heartfelt tribute on social media, writing, “But Oliver is pure love and the best version of what an artist and person can and should be. There’s no silver lining. We lost a giant.” The post included a photo of Cummings and Tree embracing with large smiles.

British influencer and musician KSI expressed disbelief at having to pay tribute to Tree. “You’re 32, man. You should still be here. You still had so much life to live. So much music to make. So much content to make,” he wrote. “You’re a legend and will always be a legend. Still doesn’t feel real. Genuinely feel sick. I love you, bro.” The two had previously collaborated on the song “Voices,” released in January 2023.

Rapper bbno$ described Tree as an inspiration and credited him for his creativity and brilliance. “My heart is shattered at the news,” he said. Argentine streaming channel Blender also paid tribute to content creator Gaspar Prim Díaz — also known as Gaspi — who was among those killed.

Background and Career

Oliver Tree, born Oliver Tree Nickell on June 29, 1993, in Santa Cruz, California, first gained attention on Vine in 2016 with his alter ego “Turbo,” known for a signature bowl cut and eccentric persona. His breakout moment came with the release of “When I’m Down,” leading to a 2017 record deal with Atlantic Records.

Over the years, Tree released four studio albums with Atlantic Records: Ugly Is Beautiful (2020), Cowboy Tears (2022), Alone in a Crowd (2023), and Love You Madly, Hate You Badly (2026). His most notable songs include “Life Goes On,” “Miss You” with Robin Schulz, “Cash Mashine,” “Alien Boy,” and “Jerk.” Tree was also known for directing his own music videos, often characterized by theatrical and eccentric styles.

According to t-online, Tree was on his first world tour, with a scheduled performance at the Tonhalle München on September 12. He had last performed in São Paulo on June 6 before the crash.

Details of the Crash

The two helicopters collided in midair and crashed in the Recreio dos Bandeirantes district. One of the aircraft caught fire before hitting the ground. Fernandes de Freitas, a local tire repair worker, described seeing one of the helicopters on fire and a passenger jumping out before impact. “It was terrifying, absolutely horrifying,” he said.

The helicopters were en route to a BYD electric car dealership parking lot, where they crashed. The impact sparked a fire that destroyed at least 20 vehicles, according to Brazilian fire department officials. Emergency responders deployed 15 fire trucks to the scene to contain the blaze.

One of the helicopters exploded on impact, killing five people on board. The second helicopter, which did not explode, had one person on board, who also died, according to the fire department. All six victims were identified as crew members. The cause of the collision is under investigation.