A mid-air collision between two helicopters over Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on June 14, 2026, claimed the lives of singer Oliver Tree and five others, according to local Civil Police who confirmed the tragedy to CNN Brazil. Tree was 32 years old.
The aircraft collided over an electric vehicle dealership in Recreio dos Bandeirantes in the southwest zone of Rio, setting cars ablaze at the crash site. Tree was traveling with four others in one helicopter piloted by Alexandre Souza, while pilot Charles Marsillac was alone in the second aircraft. The other passengers killed were Lucas Vignale, Gaspar Prim (an Argentinian YouTuber known online as Gaspi), and Lucas Brito Chaves.
Born Oliver Tree Nickell on June 29, 1993, in Santa Cruz, California, Tree became known for his eccentric fashion sense, signature bowl haircut, and larger-than-life internet persona. He first gained attention in 2016 on Vine through his alter ego “Turbo,” performing in exaggerated 1980s-style outfits with theatrical flair.
Tree was in South America for The World’s First World Tour, a global concert series spanning more than 70 shows across 30 countries on seven continents. He had performed in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on June 4, 2026, and in São Paulo, Brazil, on June 6, 2026. On Saturday, June 13, 2026, he shared a video on Instagram playing football in a Brazilian neighborhood. His next scheduled performance was set for July 1, 2026, in Lisbon, Portugal.
A police source told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that the victims could not be formally identified immediately as they were badly burned in the crash. A formal investigation is underway to determine the cause of the collision, with Civil Police requesting a forensic examination of the scene.
The National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) expressed regret over the tragedy in a statement to CNN Brazil, confirming that the Center for Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents (CENIPA) would investigate the causes. The agency urged all passengers on general aviation flights to verify the status of companies and aircraft before boarding.
Tree’s musical career began in 2010 when he started performing and opening for electronic music artists including Skrillex and Zeds Dead. In 2013, he released an independent album titled “Splitting Branches” under his earlier alias “Tree.” His breakthrough came in 2016 when he was featured on electronic producer Whethan’s hit “When I’m Down,” which led to him signing with Atlantic Records in 2017.
He gained widespread notoriety with his first studio album “Ugly Is Beautiful” in 2020, which went gold in the United States, and achieved international recognition with “Life Goes On” in 2021, released on the album’s deluxe edition. Tree released two additional studio albums with Atlantic — “Cowboy Tears” in 2022 and “Alone in a Crowd” in 2023 — followed by his most recent, “Love You Madly, Hate You Badly,” which dropped in April 2026 on his own Alien Boy Records imprint.
Tree was best known for hit songs including “Life Goes On,” “Miss You” with German producer Robin Schulz, “Alien Boy,” “Cash Machine,” “Hurt,” and “Jerk.” His music video for “Life Goes On” has amassed more than 464 million views on YouTube, while “Miss You” has garnered more than 382 million views. At the time of his death, Tree’s music on Spotify had been streamed more than 700 million times across his most popular tracks, with over 11 million people listening to his songs monthly.
Tree and Robin Schulz received a nomination for the international song BRIT Award in 2024 for their collaboration “Miss You,” which peaked at No. 3 in the UK singles chart.
In addition to writing and producing his music, Tree directed his own music videos, which were known for their highly theatrical and eccentric style. He utilized several different characters and performance eras throughout his career, employing internet trolling and meme marketing to promote his work.
Tree told Billboard in 2023 that stepping out of his artistic comfort zone transformed his career. He said that after years of making music that no one listened to, showing up looking unconventional actually worked and became bigger than his music. He described his experimentation as a mirror held up to society and noted that attempting to create something original rather than derivative is how invention occurs.
Outside of music, Tree set the Guinness World Record in 2020 for the world’s largest kick scooter, measuring 4.16 meters tall and 3.13 meters long. The record website states that he accomplished this to realize a dream he had held since childhood.