Oliver Tree Dead At 32

Oliver Tree, the genre-blending artist recognized for breakout tracks such as “Alien Boy” and “Life Goes On,” has reportedly died at 32 after a helicopter accident in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Authorities say Tree, whose full name was Oliver Tree Nickell, was among six fatalities when two helicopters collided while flying over the city. According to information provided by Rio de Janeiro law enforcement to the Associated Press, Tree appeared on the passenger manifest of one of the aircraft involved. CNN Brazil also reported that the singer was onboard when the crash occurred.

Before achieving mainstream success, Tree built an audience online during the early 2010s by independently releasing music under the name “Tree.” One of his earliest projects included a cover of Radiohead’s “Karma Police,” which earned praise from Thom Yorke and later appeared on his debut EP, Demons.

Following his studies at the California Institute of the Arts, Tree re-emerged in 2016 with new material, including the release of “Welcome to LA.” Combining an unconventional image with imaginative self-produced visuals, he quickly distinguished himself from other artists. His creative style helped him gain traction across social media platforms and major music festivals, eventually leading to the release of his debut studio album, Ugly Is Beautiful, in 2020.

He followed that success with Cowboy Tears in 2022, describing the project as a country record aimed at listeners who typically avoid the genre. His next album, Alone in a Crowd, arrived in 2023. Earlier this year, Tree embraced the independent approach that launched his career by releasing his fourth studio effort, Love You Madly Hate You Badly, through his own label, Alien Boy Records.

Just weeks before the tragedy, Tree announced the launch of Oliver Tree World’s First World Tour. The South American portion of the run began on May 30 in Mexico and concluded with what would become his final performance, held June 6 in São Paulo.