A celebration of life memorial service has been set next month for the late Oliver Tree – find all the details below.
The eccentric singer-songwriter died in a helicopter crash in Brazil on June 14 at the age of 32, in an incident that also took the lives of five others. In a recent tribute, Tree’s mother Christine Begin Nickell said she was “so proud” of her son and thanked fans for their support.
Now, Tree’s family have also announced details of a celebration of life and memorial service. Scheduled for July 25, there is a public livestream planned “due to limited space for family and friends,” giving fans of the artist across the globe a chance to pay respects.
The event will be held at UCSC Quarry Amphitheatre, an outdoor venue located on the University of California’s Santa Cruz campus. Details on how to watch the livestream are not yet available, but fans are advised that they will be announced shortly.
Tree’s family also recently launched Dr. Oliver Tree’s Extremely Epic Art Grant for Baby Geniuses in his memory, in accordance with plans explicitly put in place by Tree during his lifetime.
“Oliver believed the most valuable way for artists to master their craft was not through studying, but by physically getting their hands dirty and creating things,” the foundation has said in its mission statement.
Tree’s had discussed his desire to set up such a foundation in interviews just months before his death. “When I die, all the money is going to go back to artists,” Tree said in one interview. “So I set up a foundation, it’s called ‘Dr. Oliver Tree’s Art Grants for Baby Geniuses.’ Hopefully it’ll last for 100 years.”
Tree also explained that the grants would be designed to fund the physical creation of art, rather than formal study or personal expenses.
“You’re not allowed to buy equipment with the money, you’re not allowed to get education or go to school with the money,” he said, “but you’re allowed to physically hire people to help produce stuff, you’re allowed to rent gear and equipment.”
The foundation has said Tree directed that “specified non-art-related and non-sentimental assets” be sold to establish the grant fund, with donations also being accepted.
It added that the fund is intended to support creative art projects while remaining active for “at least 50 to 100 years”. Application requirements, submission dates and further details are set to be announced soon.
Post Malone also dedicated his Toronto show to Tree earlier this month, describing him as a “beautiful man” and telling the crowd: “We love you so much, Oliver.”
Among those paying their respects online when news of his death first broke were Kid Cudi, KSI, Bebe Rexha and Tree’s ex-girlfriend Melanie Martinez.
Tree, whose real name was Oliver Tree Nickell, was best known for songs including ‘Life Goes On’, ‘Miss You’, ‘Alien Boy’ and ‘Hurt’. His most recent album, ‘Love You Madly Hate You Badly’, was released earlier this year.
In a statement following his death, his family described him as “more than a musician”, adding that he was “a true artist in every sense of the word”.
“No matter how strange you think you look, no matter how ugly you feel, you are beautiful,” they added, quoting one of Tree’s messages to fans.
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