Singer Oliver Tree Dies at 32 in Rio Helicopter Collision

American musician and singer Oliver Tree died on Sunday at age 32 in a helicopter accident in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Local authorities said two helicopters collided in midair over the city’s western area and crashed, killing six people in total, including Tree. Investigators are still working to determine exactly what caused the crash.

Tree, born Oliver Nickell, had become one of the most recognizable figures among a new generation of pop and alternative artists. He built his career by mixing pop, rock, hip-hop, and electronic music with an outspoken stage persona and a distinctive visual style, especially his haircut, which made him a global internet star.

His songs drew hundreds of millions of streams across streaming services and social media. Among his biggest hits were "Miss You," created with musician Robin Schulz, which has more than 382 million views on YouTube, and "Life Goes On," which surpassed 460 million views and became a global TikTok phenomenon.

The crash happened in the morning over the Recreio dos Bandeirantes area. One of the helicopters went down on a car dealership lot and sparked a fire. Emergency crews who reached the scene confirmed that all six passengers and crew members aboard the two aircraft were dead.