Friends, family and collaborators of the late Oliver Tree paid tribute to him at a ‘Celebration of Life’ service on Saturday (July 25).
The eccentric singer-songwriter died in a helicopter crash in Brazil on June 14 at the age of 32, in an incident that also took the lives of five others. His celebration of life was held over the weekend in his native Santa Cruz, California, and the public service leaned into the surrealist style Tree became known for throughout his career, with mannequins emulating his signature colourful windbreakers, cowboy hat, and bowl cut laid out in coffins.
Diplo and Logan Paul were among the speakers. Per Billboard, Diplo called Tree the coolest person he’d ever met, while Paul – a close friend of the late musician – delivered a eulogy in keeping with Tree’s own comedic spirit, making jokes about his hair and quipping that he was “watching us all from somewhere in the heavens,” likely “super disappointed in this production.”
“Oliver was everyone’s best friend. He was an adventurer with an incomparable zest for life and the ultimate ability to make anyone feel seen and heard,” he said. “Oliver is a generational artist whose legacy and music will last forever, and he’d be proud of all of us for keeping our heads up high by celebrating the impact of his time here on Earth, because at the end of the day, life goes on.”
Tree’s parents also addressed the crowd, saying: “I think Oliver would say trust yourself, get off the couch, produce art, and it’s really important to get in there and get your hands dirty.”
This Saturday, July 25, we will be celebrating the life of Oliver Tree Nickell.
The program and livestream will begin at 7:30pm PST and consist of live music, tribute videos from Oliver’s life, and various speakers from Oliver’s friends and family.
Limited tickets are… pic.twitter.com/kWHn86jPNR
— Oliver Tree (@Olivertree) July 23, 2026
In a recent tribute, Tree’s mother Christine Begin Nickell had said she was “so proud” of her son and thanked fans for their support. His family also recently launched Dr. Oliver Tree’s Extremely Epic Art Grant for Baby Geniuses in his memory, in accordance with plans explicitly put in place by Tree during his lifetime.
“Oliver believed the most valuable way for artists to master their craft was not through studying, but by physically getting their hands dirty and creating things,” the foundation has said in its mission statement.
Tree’s had discussed his desire to set up such a foundation in interviews just months before his death. “When I die, all the money is going to go back to artists,” Tree said in one interview. “So I set up a foundation, it’s called ‘Dr. Oliver Tree’s Art Grants for Baby Geniuses.’ Hopefully it’ll last for 100 years.”
Tree also explained that the grants would be designed to fund the physical creation of art, rather than formal study or personal expenses.
“You’re not allowed to buy equipment with the money, you’re not allowed to get education or go to school with the money,” he said, “but you’re allowed to physically hire people to help produce stuff, you’re allowed to rent gear and equipment.”
The foundation has said Tree directed that “specified non-art-related and non-sentimental assets” be sold to establish the grant fund, with donations also being accepted.
Es hermoso ver como todos están con sus linternas prendidas; que precioso homenaje el que le están haciendo a oliver tree, sin duda un grande que siempre será recordado
OLIVER CELEBRATION OF LIFE#OliverTreeCelebrationOfLife pic.twitter.com/bTrwXGi2ib
— mar⁷ (@mrcuryx) July 26, 2026
Thank you to everyone who joined us for Oliver’s Celebration of Life, whether in person or via the livestream. Your love and support have meant so much.
If you weren’t able to watch live, the full celebration is now available on Oliver’s YouTube channel.
We look forward to… pic.twitter.com/3K9GibfVwf
— Oliver Tree (@Olivertree) July 27, 2026
It added that the fund is intended to support creative art projects while remaining active for “at least 50 to 100 years”. Application requirements, submission dates and further details are set to be announced soon.
Post Malone also dedicated his Toronto show to Tree earlier this month, describing him as a “beautiful man” and telling the crowd: “We love you so much, Oliver.”
Among those paying their respects online when news of his death first broke were Kid Cudi, KSI, Bebe Rexha and Tree’s ex-girlfriend Melanie Martinez.
Tree, whose real name was Oliver Tree Nickell, was best known for songs including ‘Life Goes On’, ‘Miss You’, ‘Alien Boy’ and ‘Hurt’. His most recent album, ‘Love You Madly Hate You Badly’, was released earlier this year.
In a statement following his death, his family described him as “more than a musician”, adding that he was “a true artist in every sense of the word”.
“No matter how strange you think you look, no matter how ugly you feel, you are beautiful,” they added, quoting one of Tree’s messages to fans.
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