Oliver Tree’s mother, Christine Biggin Nickel, is mourning the loss of her son, who died in a helicopter crash on June 14th.
“Our dear son Oliver, you have made this world a better place. We are so proud of you. Rest in peace,” she wrote on her Facebook page on Thursday, along with three heartbroken emojis.
Nickel also shared a never-before-seen photo of her son. If it weren’t for his son’s signature bangs and long hair, he would be unrecognizable.
Many friends and family members left their condolences in the comments section, with one person writing: “I was lucky enough to know Oliver as a ‘little’ boy who was a young, talented and extraordinary artist. Thank you Christine and Jesse for putting such a wonderful family through it. Rest in peace Oliver Tree. Rudy Virginia.”
“You were raised by an amazing man who inspired and left his mark on so many. We will miss him so much. Sending all our love to you and your family,” another wrote.
Meanwhile, another added: “May you find peace. We are so saddened by this. We are thinking of you all. He was certainly a spirit to be admired. He helped so many people through his art. So proud.”
Just two months ago, Nickel shared a photo of Tree hugging mom and dad Jesse after attending a show at Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheater.
And in February, he shared a poster announcing Tree’s “first world tour.” This tour took him to Mexico, Chile, Argentina, and Brazil, where he ultimately died.
The “I Miss You” singer was confirmed as one of six people killed and injured when two helicopters crashed in Recreio dos Bandeirantes, southwest of Rio de Janeiro, on Sunday. He was 32 years old.
Two helicopters collided while flying over an electric car yard in the early morning hours, setting at least 20 cars on fire in the collision, according to CNN.
Tree had just played a show in São Paulo on June 6th and was scheduled to tour in Lisbon on July 13th.
His mother’s comments came two months after Mr Tree vowed not to leave any money to his family after his death.
“I don’t believe that wealth or anything that comes from it is mine,” the “Life Goes On” singer said on “The Zack Sang Show” on April 24.
“So my will says that when I die, none of my family will receive a penny,” he added, before claiming that if he had a wife, children, etc., (they) would not receive a penny.
“I’ll put my kids through college. That’s the agreement,” he continued. “But there’s no silver spoon. The idea is that if I die, all the money goes back to the artist.”
Instead, he wanted to put his money toward “the physical production of art” rather than education, after establishing a foundation called Dr. Oliver Tree’s Arts Grants for Genius Babies to garner attention from his music.
“You’re not allowed to buy equipment with that money. You’re not allowed to use that money to get education or schooling,” he said. “To physically produce things, you have to physically hire people. And you are allowed to rent equipment to make things.
“I basically have a committee that I’m going to set up when I pass, and I’m going to set it up during my lifetime. Basically, we’re all going to vote on who the money goes to every year.”
Tree is survived by his parents and his girlfriend, fashion photographer Fiona Chernavskaya.
