Exonian Profiles
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The Los Angeles Times recently called David Olney ’66 “the best singer-songwriter you’ve never heard of.” “He can break your heart and chill your spine,” said the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “David Olney is as good as it gets.” Within the realm of singer-songwriters and acoustic roots music, Olney is counted among the most highly regarded craftsmen. His peers, including such artists as Steve Earle, Guy Clark and the late Townes Van Zandt, often cite him as a benchmark and an influence. Yet for all the heady praise he receives, Olney is not widely known by the general listening public. “If I compare myself to pop stars, then my career is nonexistent,” said Olney during a visit to the Academy this November, when he performed at assembly and in an evening concert at Phillips Church. “But within the singer-songwriter community, I think I have something of a reputation. If your career is going to be like mine, then you have to find measuring sticks that are more internal. To me, a successful song is one that people like and that does what I want it to do.” Over the last three decades, Olney has released 11 studio albums, most on the respected Rounder label, as well as a smattering of live recordings on small labels in Holland, Italy and Germany. He has had songs covered by Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt, among others, and tours regularly throughout Europe and the United States. “At 55, to be able to record and perform and not be seen as a rock and roll nostalgia act is, to me, a triumph,” said Olney. “As far as getting work and playing, things are as good as they’ve ever been.” Olney started to play guitar while at Exeter. He came to the Academy from Rhode Island, following his brother Peter ’61 and their late father, Peter ’33. Olney’s memories of Exeter are mixed and complicated. For many years he wouldn’t even mention having attended, and not because it wasn’t cool within the circles that he traveled. “I was an awful student and I was always embarrassed about my performance,” he said. “If I had studied really hard, I might have come out with a few Bs, but to try and do it without studying very hard was just ridiculous.” After Exeter, Olney spent a couple years at the University of North Carolina before dropping out to write songs and perform. He knocked around North Carolina and Georgia for some years and then moved to New York City to perform in a rock band. In 1973, he moved to Nashville, where he’s mostly been ever since. “I was broke, but there were so many people in the same boat that it was incredibly fun,” recalled Olney of his early Nashville years. After a while, though, most of his peers left town when they didn’t write a chart-topping hit. “If you aren’t having success, it’s real hard to justify being in Nashville.” But Olney toughed it out, working odd jobs to pay the bills and writing and performing as much as possible. After starting a rock band called the X-Rays and releasing his first record in 1982, he went solo, continuing to release records and perform. Eventually, his perseverance paid off, and people started to take notice. Olney’s songs are smart, deep and full of unusual plot twists and perspectives. His career began to take shape and grow incrementally year by year. He got married, had two children and laid down some roots. “Once I became less interested in being famous,” he said, “Nashville became a much easier place to live.” To hear some of Olney’s music and learn about upcoming performances, visit his website at www.davidolney.com. —Bill Ewing |
