Musician Oliver Tree Dies in Rio Helicopter Collision at 32

Oliver Tree, the eccentric American musician known for his theatrical image and internet-savvy branding, was killed on Sunday in a midair collision between two helicopters over a neighborhood in western Rio de Janeiro. Six people died in the crash, five aboard one helicopter and the lone pilot aboard the other. One of the aircraft fell onto an electric car lot and sparked a fire that destroyed about 20 vehicles.

Brazil’s air force said investigators from the Center for Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents were dispatched to the site to collect evidence and determine why the helicopters collided. Tree was 32.

Tree began his career in the early 2010s making dubstep and performing in the San Francisco Bay Area under the name Tree. He released the independent album “Splitting Branches” in 2013, then broke through in 2016 with “When I’m Down,” which led to a 2017 deal with Atlantic Records.

He later became known for a bowl haircut, oversized clothing and an oddball stage persona. His 2018 EP “Alien Boy” widened his reach online, and the self-directed video “All That x Alien Boy” drew tens of millions of views. His Atlantic debut, “Ugly Is Beautiful,” came out in July 2020 and reached No. 14 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the rock albums chart.

Tree’s 2021 single “Life Goes On” became one of his signature songs, with more than 464 million YouTube views. He followed with the country-leaning “Cowboy Tears” in February 2022, which reached No. 7 on Billboard’s alternative albums chart, and later teamed with German DJ and producer Robin Schulz on “Miss You,” whose video has surpassed 382 million views. His third album, “Alone in a Crowd,” arrived in September 2023, and his fourth, “Love You Madly, Hate You Badly,” was released in April 2026. At the time of his death, he was in the middle of a world tour that began in Mexico City, included stops in Asia and South America, and had him perform in São Paulo on June 6, with a Lisbon date set for July 13.