- Oliver Tree passed away at the age of 32 in a tragic helicopter crash in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- He was among the six people killed when two helicopters collided mid-air on June 14.
- Days after the devastating accident, his mother, Christine Begin Nickell, has paid an emotional tribute to her late son.
Singer-songwriter Oliver Tree passed away at the age of 32 in a tragic helicopter crash in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He was among the six people killed when two helicopters collided mid-air on June 14.
Days after the devastating accident, his mother, Christine Begin Nickell, has paid an emotional tribute to her late son.
Remembering the impact he had on the world, Nickell shared a childhood photograph of the singer on Facebook and penned a heartfelt message expressing her gratitude for her son and his life.
“Our dear son Oliver, you made this world a better place. We are so proud of you. RIP,” Nickell wrote in a Facebook post.
The reported crash also claimed the lives of YouTube personality Gaspar “Gaspi” Prim, director and screenwriter Lucas Vignale, music producer Lucas Brito Chaves, and pilots Charles Marsillac and Alexandre Souza.
At the time of the crash, Tree had just started a world tour. He completed the South American leg of his tour, with his final performance taking place in São Paulo, Brazil, on June 6. Tree was next scheduled to perform in Lisbon on July 1, followed by shows in Glasgow, Manchester and London in September this year.
Girlfriend Fiona Chernavskaya Also Shares Heartfelt Message
Tree's girlfriend Fiona Chernavskaya, meanwhile, took to Instagram Stories to share her grief following the singer's reported death and thank fans for their support.
“I appreciate every ounce of support at this time,” she wrote. “There are so many who have been affected by his passing, please show them love too.”
Chernavskaya also urged the public to respect her privacy and avoid speculation about their relationship.
“Please have some respect for my privacy, we kept our relationship very intimate,” she said. “'What I really don't need is to see gossip about other women that Oliver may have been seeing, we were monogamous. Right now, I'm mourning my partner and best friend, anything else is unimportant.”
‘Magic, Inspiration And Joy You Brought To My Life'
In a separate tribute, Chernavskaya reflected on the years she spent traveling with Tree.
“To my best friend, we traveled to 43 countries, and all seven continents together,” she wrote. “The magic, inspiration and joy you brought to my life and others will never be forgotten or replaced.”
She concluded her message with a personal farewell, writing, “You'd always tell me when we argued, if things don't work out in this lifetime, you will find me in the next. I love you buggy.”