Oliver Tree Dies in Air Accident at 32

American artist Oliver Tree Nickell, 32, died in a helicopter crash in Rio de Janeiro on June 14. He was traveling in Brazil for an international tour and had a concert scheduled in Lisbon, Portugal, for July 1.

Tree, who had over 11 million monthly listeners on Spotify, was known for his eccentric style, blending genres like pop, alternative rock, and electronic music. His caricatured personas and viral songs, such as "Life Goes On" and "Miss You," gained him significant notoriety on social media.

He was recognized by the Cultural Supplement of ABC Color as one of the top contemporary musicians. A 2020 column praised his work, calling him a "Miracle Man" and highlighting his "entertaining and intelligent pop journey with liberating bursts of rhythmic enthusiasm."

Born in Santa Cruz, California, on June 29, 1993, Oliver Tree Nickell began his music career in school. He was the vocalist and guitarist for a rock band named Irony and later joined the rap group Mindfuck. At 18, he signed with R&S Records, releasing his first EP, "Demons." After his song "When I'm Down" went viral in 2017, he signed with Atlantic Records.

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The Californian Oliver Tree tells us about the crazy and sometimes frustrating race against time in pursuit of our dreams in this song that, at times fun, at times poetic and at others ironic, envelops us in an entertaining and intelligent pop journey with liberating bursts of rhythmic enthusiasm.