Oliver Tree, the chart-topping singer-songwriter known for his eccentric persona and genre-bending music, died Sunday morning after two helicopters collided in mid-air over the coastal neighborhood of Recreio dos Bandeirantes, CNN Brasil reports.He was 32.
Ad 0:00 Click for sound 0:00 / 0:00 The Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro confirmed that Tree, whose real name is Oliver Tree Nickell, was among six people killed in the crash.The incident occurred in the southwest zone of the city, where one aircraft carried five people while the other carried only its pilot.
There were no survivors.Videos appearing to show the collision is circulating on social media platforms but EDM.com has opted not to share the footage due to its graphic nature.
Known for his distinctive bowl haircut and cartoonish wide-leg pants, Nickell was an esteemed collaborator in the electronic dance music space, working with Subtronics, Whethan, Robin Schulz and many prominent DJs.His debut album, 2020’s Ugly Is Beautiful, topped a pair of Billboard charts and was certified Gold by the RIAA.
The musician was in Brazil as part of a major world tour, having performed a concert in São Paulo on June 6.He was scheduled to begin the European leg of his tour in Lisbon, Portugal on July 13.
Local authorities identified the other passengers traveling with Nickell as Lucas Vignale, Lucas Brito Chaves and Gaspar Prim, a prominent Argentine YouTuber known online as Gaspi.The pilots of the two aircraft, Alexandre Souza and Charles Marsillac, were also killed.
A source close to Marsillac, who was flying alone at the time of the collision, described him to local media as a “very experienced” pilot.According to preliminary reports from the Rio de Janeiro Fire Department, the two helicopters struck each other mid-flight before plunging into a parking lot below.
The impact damaged approximately 20 vehicles and triggered a massive fire...