Oliver Tree Dies in Brazil Helicopter Collision at 32

American singer, director, and producer Oliver Tree died at age 32 in a helicopter crash in Brazil. According to AP and CNN Brazil, the accident happened in the southwestern part of Rio de Janeiro state, where two helicopters collided in midair for reasons that have not yet been explained. Six people were killed in the crash, including Tree, and local reports said Argentine YouTuber Gaspi also died. Gaspi’s social media accounts reportedly have millions of followers.

Tree was born on June 29, 1993, in Santa Cruz, California. He began releasing music independently in 2013 with his first album, Splitting Branches, under the shortened stage name Tree. His breakthrough came in 2016 through the short-video platform Vine, when he adopted his best-known alter ego, Turbo, an eccentric character with a bob haircut, oversized colorful clothes, and a scooter he always rode.

That same year, Tree released the single When I’m Down, which became a major commercial success and led to his signing with Atlantic Records in 2017. Throughout his career, he frequently changed characters and alter egos to match different artistic phases, while promoting his work through internet memes and carefully staged social media provocation.

Among his best-known songs were Cash Machine, Alien Boy, Hurt, Jerk, Life Goes On, and Miss You. The video for Life Goes On has more than 464 million views, while Miss You has surpassed 382 million. In 2020, Tree entered the Guinness World Records after designing and building the world’s largest scooter.