Updated
Updated · Rolling Stone · Jun 15
Melanie Martinez Mourns Oliver Tree, 32, After Rio Helicopter Crash Kills 6
Updated
Updated · Rolling Stone · Jun 15

Melanie Martinez Mourns Oliver Tree, 32, After Rio Helicopter Crash Kills 6

3 articles · Updated · Rolling Stone · Jun 15

Summary

  • Melanie Martinez said she was "an absolute wreck" after Oliver Tree died Sunday in a midair helicopter collision in Rio de Janeiro that killed six people.
  • Martinez, who dated Tree from 2019 to 2020, remembered his "soft heart," contagious laugh and artistic drive, saying he inspired joy and childlike wonder.
  • Oliver Tree Nickell was best known for viral songs including "Life Goes On" and "Alien Boy" and had been in Rio after a Sao Paulo show on his first world tour.
  • Kid Cudi, T-Pain and Bebe Rexha also paid tribute, with Rexha noting they had recorded together as Tree's death halted a tour that was due to resume in Europe in July.

Insights

Was the Oliver Tree crash a freak accident, or a symptom of Brazil’s worsening air safety crisis?
What mission united a singer, a YouTuber, and a director on the helicopter that tragically crashed over Rio?
How did a helicopter crash reveal the hidden toxic fire danger of electric vehicle parking lots?