Oliver Tree, the singer, songwriter and multimedia artist behind the 2021 viral hit “Life Goes On,” has died at 32 after a helicopter collision in Rio de Janeiro. He’d been in Brazil as part of a world tour at the time of the crash.
According to reports, two helicopters collided midair over the city’s Recreio dos Bandeirantes neighborhood yesterday (June 14), killing all six people aboard the aircraft. One helicopter crashed into a car dealership lot, sparking a fire that spread to numerous electric vehicles. Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the accident.
Born Oliver Tree Nickell, the Santa Cruz, Ca., native built a career out of turning absurdity into an art form, blending alternative rock, pop, electronic music and comedy into a singular persona that resonated with millions of fans. Hits including “Alien Boy,” “Miss You,” and “Life Goes On” helped make him a recognizable and unpredictable figures in modern pop.
In 2020, as he prepared to release his debut album Ugly Is Beautiful, Tree shared a nostalgic rock playlist with SPIN, offering a glimpse at the artists and songs that shaped his musical outlook. They included Radiohead (whose “Karma Police” he covered), David Bowie, Nirvana, Weezer and even Smash Mouth.
“Rock music feels dead in 2020 but for some reason, I felt compelled to make a rock album when absolutely nobody asked for it,” he told SPIN. “Sure my album has a lot of other influences like pop, hip hop and electronic, but the album as a whole is a straightforward alternative rock album. To be releasing this music at this time, I can’t help but feel like an outcast from any music scene and any community. When I was in middle school, I used to be obsessed with classic rock and managed to convince myself that I was born during the wrong generation. However, when I finally opened my eyes and looked around me, I eventually found many incredible different exciting musical movements taking place. I never could box myself into one genre, so it ended up creating a hybrid of everything I found along the way.”
In a recent interview with Zach Sang, Tree detailed just-finalized plans to create foundation with the actual name Dr. Oliver Tree’s Art Grants for Baby Geniuses. “When I die, my art will continue to have residuals and probably be worth more than it is now,” he said. “People will finally appreciate my stupid f—ing videos or my stupid f—ing songs. That’s when people appreciate you — when you’re not there anymore. I have basically a committee that I’ve set up when I pass — and I plan to do it while I’m alive — where basically everyone will vote on who the money goes to each year.”
