Oliver Tree, the singer, director and record producer known for his hit songs “Life Goes On” and “Miss You,” with Robin Schulz, has died. He was 32.
The artist was among six killed when two helicopters collided in Recreio dos Bandeirantes, in the Southwest zone of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Sunday morning, the Associated Press and CNN Brazil reported.
The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to Tree’s rep, but did not hear back at the time of publication.
Born Oliver Tree Nickell on June 29, 1993, in Santa Cruz, California, he rose to fame on Vine in 2016 with his alter ego “Turbo,” who sported a signature bowl cut, oversized ’80s clothing and an eccentric persona. That same year, he released his first hit song, “When I’m Down,” which ultimately put him on the map and led to him signing with Atlantic Records in 2017.
Throughout his career, he’s utilized several different characters and performance eras, as well as used a mix of internet trolling and meme marketing to promote his music.
Tree’s released four studio albums with Atlantic, including Ugly Is Beautiful (2020), Cowboy Tears (2022), Alone in a Crowd (2023), and his most recent, Love You Madly, Hate You Badly, which dropped in April. He also previously released an independent album, Splitting Branches, under his earlier alias “Tree” in 2013.
His most notable tracks include “Life Goes On,” “Miss You” with Robin Schulz, “Cash Mashine,” “Alien Boy,” “Hurt” and “Jerk,” among others.
In addition to writing and producing his music, he also had a passion for directing, typically helming his own music videos that were known for their highly theatrical and eccentric style. Some of his most popular music videos are “Life Goes On,” which has more than 464 million views on YouTube, and “Miss You,” which has 382 million-plus views on the video streaming platform.
Outside of entertainment, he also set the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest kick scooter in 2020.
On June 6, Tree performed in São Paulo, Brazil, as part of his world tour in support of his latest album, Love You Madly, Hate You Badly. He was next scheduled to play a show in Lisbon on July 1.
The other victims identified in the crash were passengers Lucas Vignale, Gaspar Prim and Lucas Brito Chaves, and pilots Alexandre Souza and Charles Marsillac, CNN Brazil reported. An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the collision.
