Singer Oliver Tree Killed in Helicopter Collision in Brazil
Oliver Tree, the Santa Cruz-born singer and comedian, has died at age 32.
On Sunday morning, two helicopters collided over Rio de Janeiro and crashed in the city’s western zone, killing all six people aboard, firefighters said. Tree was on the list of passengers given to aviation authorities. (At press time, responders have not been able to positively identify the bodies of those killed in the crash.)
Tree rose to fame in 2017 after collaborating with Chicago DJ Whethan on “When I’m Down,” an alt-pop track that tackled themes of sadness and depression in a disarmingly sunny way. His debut album, 2020’s Ugly Is Beautiful spawned more hits including “Let Me Down,” “Alien Boy” and “Miracle Man.”
Tree, who once fronted a ska band called Irony in Santa Cruz and studied business at San Francisco State University, was instantly recognizable for his cartoonish fashion choices and bizarre wigs.
In the Bay Area, Tree performed at music festivals like Wobbleland and Outside Lands. He released four albums in all, the last of which — Love You Madly Hate You Badly — came out in April.
Rio de Janeiro’s Military Fire Department said one of the helicopters crashed on the parking lot of a car dealership, where several electric vehicles were parked, igniting a fire that was extinguished.
Officials said an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the collision.
Tree was visiting Rio de Janeiro after playing a show in Sao Paolo. He published a video on his Instagram Saturday showing him playing soccer with locals in a Brazilian neighborhood, appearing to be in good spirits.
After news of the deadly crash broke, tributes to Tree poured in online.
Steve-O posted a photo of himself with Tree on Instagram, stating: “I was incredibly lucky to become friends with Oliver Tree. He would check in on me regularly, and let me know he cared about how I was doing. Such a great person.”
Kid Cudi wrote on X, “This is heartbreaking. A really amazing and beautiful human. This shit sucks bad. Sending all my prayers and love to the families dealing with losses. Oliver we love you, forever.”
Tree’s ex-girlfriend, musician Melanie Martinez, shared: “I think everyone who knew him will look back at those moments of laughter and joy he so easily sparked. His laugh was so contagious and warm. His ability to lead creatively and take action while also maintaining a sense of childlike wonder and awe was so inspiring. He had such a soft heart and was a true artist in every way.”
Argentine streaming channel Blender reported that content creator Gaspar Prim Díaz — also known as Gaspi — was also in one of the helicopters. Gaspi, 23, had more than 2.8 million followers on YouTube.
“Thanks for your art, your magic and your sensibility, every one of us will miss you,” Blender said on its X account.
Fernandes de Freitas, a tire repair worker, said he saw one of the helicopters in flames following the midair collision, and noticed that one of the passengers jumped out of the other aircraft, before it hit the ground.
“It was terrifying, absolutely horrifying,” De Freitas said.
