American musician Oliver Tree dies in Rio helicopter crash

American musician Oliver Tree Nickell, 32, and Argentine YouTuber Gaspar Prim Díaz, known as Gaspi, died Sunday in a helicopter accident in Rio de Janeiro. The collision between two aircraft occurred at 8:59 a.m. local time in the Recreio dos Bandeirantes neighborhood, killing six people in total.

At the time of his death, Tree had nearly 20 million social media followers and over 11 million monthly listeners on Spotify. He showed an early passion for music, taking piano lessons at age three and writing songs by four. In high school, he explored hip-hop and electronic music, becoming a DJ and recording with the rap group Mindfuck.

Tree gained widespread recognition in 2016 with the viral song "When I'm Down," produced with Whethan, leading to a contract with Atlantic Records. His 2018 EP "Alien Boy" achieved gold certification, with its title track earning a platinum record. His debut album, "Ugly Is Beautiful," released in 2020, reached number 14 on the Billboard 200 and topped the rock albums chart.

Oliver Tree achieved international fame with hits like "Life Goes On" in 2021 and "Miss You" in 2022. His fourth studio album, "Love You Madly Hate You Badly," was released just weeks before his death on April 24, 2026. Hours before the crash, Tree had posted a video on Instagram with a Brazilian influencer, wearing a Brazil jersey. He had announced a world tour spanning over 40 countries in six months.

Authorities are investigating the cause of the collision. The aircraft carrying Gaspi also included Argentine director Lucas Vignale and Lucas Brito Chaves, along with pilot Alexandre Souza. The second helicopter was piloted by Charles Marsillac.