American singer Oliver Tree has died in a helicopter crash in Brazil. He was 32 years old.
Two helicopters collided over Rio de Janeiro on Sunday morning and crashed in the city's western zone, killing all six people aboard, firefighters said. Rio de Janeiro's Military Fire Department reported that one of the helicopters crashed on the parking lot of a car dealership, where several electric vehicles were parked, igniting a fire that was extinguished.
Police confirmed that Tree, an American musician and comedian, was named by aviation authorities as one of the passengers on board. Officials have not been able to identify the bodies of the people killed in the crash. The other victims identified were passengers Lucas Brito Chaves, Gaspar Prim, and Lucas Vignale, and pilots Alexandre Souza and Charles Marsillac, according to CNN Brazil. One helicopter carried five people, while the other reportedly carried only its pilot.
The Associated Press and CNN Brazil both reported that Tree was on board one of the helicopters. Representatives for Tree did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Born Oliver Tree Nickell on June 29, 1993, the California-based singer-songwriter first became famous on Vine in 2016 for his alter ego called Turbo, after having already debuted his first EP Demons in 2013. Known for his bowl haircut and brightly colored clothes, the eccentric internet personality began producing dubstep music in the San Francisco Bay Area before rising to fame with his viral song 'When I'm Down' in 2016. After the song gained popularity online, he signed with Atlantic Records in 2017.
Tree's 2018 album Alien Boy cemented his place in the electronic music world, along with his retro 80s aesthetic that made him popular on YouTube. In addition to 'When I'm Down,' Tree was known for songs like 'Life Goes On,' 'Alien Boy,' 'Cash Machine,' 'Jerk,' and 'Miss You' with Robin Schulz.
