The body of singer-songwriter Oliver Tree has been returned to the United States, one week after he was killed in a helicopter collision in Brazil. A statement shared on the late artist’s official Instagram account on Sunday confirmed his remains arrived in California, his home state.
“Oliver is now back in California where he can finally rest,” the post read. The 32-year-old musician, born Oliver Tree Nickell in Santa Cruz, was among six people who died when two helicopters collided over Rio de Janeiro on June 14. The crash sent one helicopter plummeting into a car dealership, igniting a fire that destroyed around 20 vehicles.
Tree was on a world tour supporting his fourth album, Love You Madly, Hate You Badly, with his most recent show in São Paulo on June 6. Known for his distinctive bowl haircut and viral hits including Life Goes On, Miss You, and Alien Boy, he had amassed over 11 million monthly listeners on Spotify.
The crash also claimed the lives of Argentine content creator Gaspar Prim Díaz, known as Gaspi; Argentine filmmaker Lucas Vignale; Brazilian DJ and producer Lucas Brito Chaves; and pilots Alexandre Souza and Charles Marsillac . Brazilian authorities continue investigating the cause of the collision, with human error being considered as a possible factor.
Tree’s team also announced plans to establish a foundation in his memory, fulfilling what they described as his final wish written in his will. The foundation, named “Dr. Oliver Tree’s Extremely Epic Grant For Baby Geniuses,” will support emerging artists. Tree had previously spoken about directing his assets toward creative initiatives, saying, “When I die, all the money is going to go back to artists”.
