Oliver Tree Nickell

Death came to Oliver Tree at the peak of his career. He was in the middle of his “World’s First World Tour" when a fatal helicopter crash claimed his life in Brazil.

Born in June 1993, Oliver Tree Nickell, better known as Oliver Tree, spent his early years in a circus where his parents, Jesse Louis Nickell III and Christine Marie Begin, worked. Oliver told the media that he began piano lessons at age 3 and started songwriting the very next year. Soon enough, by the age of 6, Oliver Tree had written his first album. Tree’s home was on wheels until the age of 12.

Oliver attended Harbor High School in Santa Cruz. He went on to study business at San Francisco University for two years before deciding to pursue his passion. He transferred to California Institute of the Arts, where he studied and graduated with a degree in Music and Technology in 2016.

Tree began his musical journey in middle school, where he first performed with a ska band named Irony. His first independent full-length album, “Splitting Branches, was released under the pseudonym “Tree”

Oliver Tree’s first breakthrough came from the success of his collaboration with Wethan, “When I’m Down.” Following this achievement, Oliver signed with Atlantic Records in 2017. A few years later, his first studio album, “Ugly is Beautiful,” was released. The Album was later certified as Gold, after which success came running to Oliver.

Tree’s single, “Life Goes On,” became a massive hit in 2021. The album was later certified platinum in the United States. In 2022, Oliver released his second studio album, “Cowboy Tears,” in which he adopted a country-inspired persona. His fourth and final studio album, “Love you madly, hate you badly,” was released on 24th April, 2026. Oliver Tree left Atlantic Records after this Independent release. In addition to being an incredible singer and songwriter, Oliver Tree was a highly accomplished director. Tree has successfully directed 30 of his music videos.

In 2019, Tree started dating the famous singer and songwriter Melanie Martinez. The couple separated in 2020. Two years later, Oliver Tree stated that he was exploring Polyamory.

Oliver Tree was filled with artistic creativity. In 2020, he won the Guinness World Record for building and riding the world’s largest kick scooter. In 2024, Tree was nominated for the International Song Brit Award for his collaboration with Robin Schulz on “Miss You”

Alongside his successful career, Oliver Tree was empathetic. Oliver Tree supported the homeless garden project in Santa Cruz. He hosted benefit shows and encouraged people to donate for the good cause.

On June 14 2026, Oliver Tree died in a mid-air helicopter collision in the Recreio dos Bandeirantes neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro. The fatal crash took the lives of 6 people, including Argentine YouTuber Gaspar Prim (Gaspi), filmmaker Lucas Vignale, music producer Lucas Brito Chaves, and pilots Alexandre Souza and Charles Marsillac.