© 2024 | WUWF Public Media
11000 University Parkway
Pensacola, FL 32514
850 474-2787
NPR for Florida's Great Northwest
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Singer-Songwriter David Olney Plays Acoustic Interlude

Chuck Dunlap/WUWF

Editor's Note: David Olney's 30A Songwriters Festival Performance has made national headlines since the news of his passing on Jan. 18. In memory of Olney and his music, we wanted to share his Acoustic Interlude performance from earlier that day, just hours before his final performance. 

David Olney, 71, has been a key member of the Nashville music scene since the early 1970s. His songs have been recorded by artists Emmylou Harris, Del McCoury, Linda Ronstadt, Steve Young, and many others, according to his online biography. 

Regarded as the "founding father of Americana," Olney has written more than 30 albums in his music career. During his Acoustic Interlude set, he plays a few songs including Bluebonnet Girl (Jack Murray), James Robinson, Jerusalem Tomorrow, and Running From Love. After his set, he thanks Acoustic Interlude host, John Macdonell, for his show saying "these stations are kind of the lifeline now" for folk music. 

Macdonell remembers Olney: 

"David Olney was one of the original artists that agreed to do an interview and performance session for us back in 2011, the first year WUWF was at the 30A Songwriters Festival. He returned every year and happily shared his time with us. Due to scheduling conflicts he was unable to do so the last three years, so 2020 was the first time we had seen David since 2016. Everyone at the WUWF session on Saturday remarked about how good David looked and sounded. He was in an exceptionally good mood and his performance was outstanding. We were all shocked and saddened when we learned that David had passed away just a few hours later. He was an amazingly talented artist and a very kind and selfless person. We will all miss him."