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The music world is mourning one of their own.
Oliver Tree—known for tracks such as “Life Goes On” and “When I’m Done”—has died in a helicopter crash in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, June 14, local Civil Police confirmed to CNN Brazil. He was 32.
The singer was identified as one of six casualties after two helicopters collided while flying over an electric vehicle yard in the southwest zone of Rio, according to the outlet, setting at least 20 cars ablaze at the crash site.
The other victims include passengers Lucas Vignale, Gaspar Prim (known as Argentinian YouTuber Gaspi) and Lucas Brito Chaves, as well as pilots Alexandre Souza and Charles Marsillac.
A formal investigation is underway to determine the cause of the crash, the Civil Police told the outlet, and a forensic examination of the scene has been requested.
After the incident, the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) expressed regret over the tragedy.
“The National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) reports that it has become aware of the air accident involving two helicopters, today, June 14th, in Rio de Janeiro,” the statement to CNN Brazil read, “and is investigating the situation of the aircraft and pilots involved in the case. The investigations into the causes will be conducted by the Center for Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents (CENIPA).”
Photo by John Nacion/WireImage
“ANAC regrets the incident, expresses its solidarity with the families and friends of the victims,” it continued, “and reiterates to all passengers on general aviation flights that they should verify the status of companies and aircraft before boarding.”
Tree—who was onboard the flight with Vignale, Prim, Chaves, and Souza while Marsillac was flying solo in the other helicopter—was visiting South America as part of his The World’s First World Tour.
While Tree performed a show in São Paulo just days earlier on June 6, he was scheduled to pick up his tour in Lisbon, Portugal, July 13.
Photo by Srdjan Stevanovic/Getty Images
Tree (born Oliver Tree Nickel) rose to fame in 2010 after collaborating with techno stars Skrillex and Zeds Dead. In 2013, Tree released an independent album before gaining notoriety for his first studio album Ugly Is Beautiful in 2020, which went gold in the United States.
Tree was also well known for his eccentric fashion sense. And as the “Miss You" singer noted, it’s precisely when he stepped out of his comfort zone artistically that his career took off.
“I’d already spent the bulk of my existence on Earth making music and no one was listening to it,” he told Billboard in 2023. “No one cared. And I was like, ‘Wow, this actually working. This is bigger than my music.’”
“All I did was just show up looking stupid, and I think it’s a mirror that I was setting up of society, and how dumb things have gotten in a lot of ways,” he added, “but also experimentation is kind of the birth of invention and trying to make something that hasn’t been done a million times.”
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