A day before the accident that took his life, Oliver Tree was radiant. This is how his mother, Christine Begin Nickell, remembered him during the tribute that family and friends held this weekend at the University of California in Santa Cruz (UCSC).
Christine said that hours before the tragedy, she asked him by message how his attempt to quit smoking was going. Oliver responded with a video call and joked by blowing a puff of smoke towards the camera. But beyond the occurrence, it left an indelible impression.
“What impacted me the most was how happy and excited I was with life,” he said.
During that conversation, the musician also mentioned that the next day he would travel by helicopter to a house on the top of a mountain. He planned to record videos and work on new music with friends. Christine explained that Oliver described the experience as an “epic day.” Knowing the excitement with which he awaited that trip makes his last memory even more moving.
Oliver died on June 14 at age 32, when two helicopters collided in the air over Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Five other people died in the accident.
Tribute at UCSC
Saturday’s tribute brought together family, friends and close figures such as Logan Paul, Diplo and Ethan Klein, who shared memories of the artist. The ceremony included musical performances, unreleased videos and symbolic coffins that represented the different stages of Oliver’s life.
