Oliver Tree’s mom, Christine Begin Nickell, said her son was “so happy and excited about life” one day before his tragic death.
During the late musician’s celebration of life on Saturday, Nickell detailed the last conversation they had before his fatal helicopter crash.
“I texted Oliver the day before he passed and asked how quitting smoking was going for him, as he promised he would give it up once he was on tour,” she recalled.
“He Facetimed me immediately and let out a huge puff of cigarette smoke in my face,” she laughed. “But he was so happy and excited about life that day.
“He told us he was taking a helicopter ride to a house on a mountain top the next day to make music and TikToks with his friends,” she recounted, beginning to get choked up.
“He loved having epic days. Each one more memorable than the last.”
Tree’s loved ones and fans celebrated his life Saturday with a quirky ceremony at the Quarry Amphitheater in Santa Cruz, California, the city where he was born and raised.
In front of the stage, three mannequins dressed like the singer — sporting bright windbreakers, sunglasses, cowboy hats and blunt bowl cuts — lay in coffins in a bizarre display.
Logan Paul and Diplo were among the other speakers during the ceremony.
The singer died in a helicopter crash in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, last month. He was just 32 years old.
He was visiting South America at the time as part of his “The World’s First World Tour.”
The “Miss You” songwriter was identified as one of six casualties in the tragic helicopter crash. The other victims include passengers Lucas Vignale, Gaspar Prim (also known as Argentinian YouTuber Gaspi), Lucas Brito Chaves, and pilots Alexandre Souza and Charles Marsillac.
Two helicopters collided in the air while flying over an electric vehicle yard, CNN reported. At least 20 cars were set on fire from the collision after being hit at the crash site.
After the singer’s death, Nickell shared in a heartbreaking Facebook post mourning his death, “Our dear son Oliver, you made this world a better place. We are so proud of you. RIP.”
His family later announced they were honoring his “final wish” to start a foundation dedicated to helping up-and-coming artists.
“Oliver is now back in California where he can finally rest,” their Instagram post read. “His legacy will live on through his foundation/endowment named ‘Dr. Oliver Tree’s Extremely Epic Grant For Baby Geniuses’ coming soon.”
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