A celebration of life was held for singer Oliver Tree on Saturday at the Quarry Amphitheater in Santa Cruz, California, where he was born and raised. The ceremony honored the artist, who died at age 32 in a helicopter crash in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, last month.
Three mannequins, dressed in outfits mirroring Tree's signature style—complete with bright windbreakers, sunglasses, cowboy hats, and bowl cuts—were placed in coffins at the front of the stage, a display described as fitting for the artist's unique legacy. Friends and collaborators, including Logan Paul and Diplo, delivered tributes during the event.
Diplo referred to Tree as "the coolest motherf–ker" he had ever met, while Paul called him "a rockstar." Paul also shared humorous anecdotes, referencing Tree's distinctive hair and jokingly suggesting the singer might be enjoying an afterlife enhanced by Ozempic.
Oliver Tree, known for his songs "Life Goes On" and "Miss You," was among six people who died in the crash. The other victims included passengers Lucas Vignale, Gaspar Prim (also known as Argentinian YouTuber Gaspi), Lucas Brito Chaves, and pilots Alexandre Souza and Charles Marsillac. The incident occurred when two helicopters collided in mid-air over an electric vehicle yard, resulting in approximately 20 cars catching fire upon impact.
Tree was in South America as part of "The World's First World Tour" at the time of the crash. His mother, Christine Begin Nickell, shared a heartfelt message on Facebook, stating, "Our dear son Oliver, you made this world a better place. We are so proud of you. RIP."
Following his death, Tree's family announced their intention to honor his "final wish" by establishing a foundation aimed at supporting emerging artists. In an Instagram post, they stated, "Oliver is now back in California where he can finally rest. His legacy will live on through his foundation/endowment named ‘Dr. Oliver Tree’s Extremely Epic Grant For Baby Geniuses’ coming soon." The family further committed to ensuring his wish to spread "joy, love and art into the world" would be fulfilled.
Previously, Tree had expressed his philosophy regarding inheritance on "The Zach Sang Show," stating that he did not believe in his family inheriting his wealth. "I don’t believe that any of the wealth, or the things that get made from it, is mine," he explained. "So when I die, my will is set up that when I pass, my family, no one’s going to get a penny."