Diplo and Logan Paul pay tribute to Oliver Tree in Santa Cruz
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Oliver Tree was celebrated at a public "Celebration of Life" memorial on 25 July at Santa Cruz's Quarry Amphitheater, his home city, six weeks after he died aged 32 in a helicopter crash in Rio de Janeiro. The event drew tributes from friends, family and collaborators including Diplo and close friend Logan Paul, marking a fitting send-off for an artist whose career was defined by absurdist humour and elaborate visual spectacle.
The memorial itself embraced Tree's surreal aesthetic, with three mannequins dressed in his trademark bright windbreakers, sunglasses, cowboy hats and bowl haircut laid out in coffins before the stage. Diplo called him the coolest person he'd ever met, while Logan Paul delivered a comedic yet heartfelt eulogy describing him as "everyone's best friend" with an "incomparable zest for life." Tree's parents told mourners he would say to "trust yourself, get off the couch, produce art," adding "he was a doer." All proceeds went to Dr. Oliver Tree's Extremely Epic Grant for Baby Geniuses, a foundation set up under his will to direct his wealth to emerging artists rather than his family, a wish he had voiced in an April interview on the Zach Sang Show.
- Santa Cruz memorial honoured Oliver Tree, dead at 32 in helicopter crash
- Diplo and Logan Paul gave tributes; parents also spoke
- Proceeds funded a foundation for emerging artists, per his will
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Oliver Tree was an American musician, filmmaker and internet personality known for cultivating a deliberately absurd public persona, complete with exaggerated alter egos, a distinctive bowl haircut and trademark windbreaker-and-sunglasses look. Born Oliver Tree Nickell, he released four albums on Atlantic Records, including 2020's Ugly Is Beautiful, and had a hit collaboration with Robin Schulz, "Miss You," which picked up a BRIT Award nomination. He died in a helicopter crash in Rio de Janeiro in June 2026, aged 32.
His death prompted a memorial event, a "Celebration of Life" held in his hometown area of Santa Cruz, California, where friends and family gathered to honour him. Before he died, Tree had said in an interview that he wanted his wealth directed towards supporting emerging artists rather than passed to his family, and a foundation was subsequently set up under his will to do this.
Diplo, a well-known DJ and producer, and Logan Paul, a social media personality turned boxer and entertainer, were among those who knew Tree and took part in the tribute, reflecting the wide circle of musicians and internet-famous figures he was connected to during his career.
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Originally published by Billboard as “Diplo, Logan Paul Honor Oliver Tree at Santa Cruz ‘Celebration of Life’”.