US ALT-POP MUSICIAN and internet personality Oliver Tree was among six people who were killed after two helicopters collided mid-air in Brazil on Saturday.
The helicopters collided in Recreio dos Bandeirantes, a western suburb of Rio de Janeiro, before plummeting into the car park of an electric car dealership, setting ablaze around 20 cars, firefighters said.
One of the helicopters was carrying five people, and the other just the pilot.
The passengers on the same helicopter as Tree included a Brazilian music producer, Argentine video director and Argentine YouTuber Gaspar Prim, known online as Gaspi.
Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Cavaliere said earlier that there were “foreign nationals on board one of the aircraft,” without giving further details.
Fire services spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Fabio Contreiras told CNN Brasil at the scene that it was unclear exactly how the accident unfolded.
“Parts of the aircraft are scattered hundreds of meters away, so the information we have is still very preliminary,” he said. “We really need to get the recordings and videos to understand exactly what happened.”
Tributes
Tree was known for hits such as Life Goes On, Miss You and Alien Boy.
The 32-year-old blended music with performance art, pranks and parody, internet trolling and performing high-risk stunts in some of his videos.
Many fans on social media wondered if reports of his death in the helicopter accident were another one of his elaborate bits.
Tree has over 11 million monthly listeners on Spotify, with his top songs listened to over 700 million times. In recent days, his Instagram account featured videos of him in Brazil, where he performed in São Paulo on 6 June on his tour of over 30 countries.
His next show was due in Lisbon on 1 July. He was due to perform in the UK this September. He performed in Dublin’s 3Olympia Theatre in November 2022.
Jackass star Steve-O paid tribute to Tree in a post on social media. “I was incredibly lucky to become friends with Oliver Tree,” he wrote.
“He would check in on me regularly, and let me know he cared about how I was doing. Such a great person, fuck, I’m going to miss him.”
US rapper T-Pain also paid tribute to Tree, writing on social media: “Thanks for sharing your art and for always being different in the best way possible. See you on the brighter side.”
YouTuber KSI, who collaborated with Tree on his song Voices, said he would “always be a legend”.
“Can’t believe I’m actually having to type this. You’re 32 man. You should still be here. You still had so much life to live. So much music to make. So much content to make.
“You’re a legend and will always be a legend. Still doesn’t feel real. Genuinely feel sick. I love you bro.”