Oliver Tree, the American alt-pop singer known for his viral online persona and genre-blending hits, has died in a helicopter crash in Brazil. He was 32.
Six people on board two helicopters above Rio de Janeiro were killed Sunday morning in a mid-air collision, firefighters confirmed.
Police said Tree, who was born in California, was identified by aviation authorities as one of the passengers on board.
The other victims identified in the crash were passengers Lucas Brito Chaves, Gaspar Prim and Lucas Vignale, and pilots Alexandre Souza and Charles Marsillac, CNN Brazil reported. One helicopter carried five people, while the other reportedly carried only its pilot.
The Military Fire Department announced that one of the aircraft plummeted onto a car dealership, sparking a fire among parked electric vehicles, which was subsequently brought under control. An official investigation has been launched to determine what caused the fatal crash.
The Associated Press and CNN Brazil both reported that Tree was on board one of the helicopters. Representatives for Tree did not immediately return The Independent’s request for comment.
Born Oliver Tree Nickell on June 29, 1993, the singer-songwriter first became famous on Vine in 2016 for his alter ego, Turbo.
Known for his bowl haircut, huge jeans 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 made the rounds on the internet, 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.
Most recently, Tree was on his headlining world tour for his fourth album, Love You Madly, Hate You Badly. The tour started May 30 in Mexico City and was set to include stops in China, Antarctica, New Zealand and South Africa.
In April, he surprised the crowd at Coachella during Subtronic’s headlining set to debut their unreleased collaboration.
He performed in São Paulo, Brazil, on June 6 and was scheduled to play a show in Lisbon, Portugal, on July 1.
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