Olney tribute coming in October

The 17-track double album was executive produced by Gwil Owen and features new versions of Olney songs recorded by the likes of Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, Janis Ian, Jimmy Dale Gilmore, The McCrary Sisters, Dave Alvin, Mary Gauthier, Buddy Miller, Jim Lauderdale, and The Steeldrivers.

The tribute also features the first new recording from Willis Alan Ramsey since the release of his 1972 cult classic debut album, an unreleased recording of Olney reciting his "Sonnet #40," and concludes with a never-before-released live recording of Townes Van Zandt. Also included are new liner notes written by Earle and Olney's daughter, Lillian.

Earle wrote in the liner notes "I became positively evangelical about the songs of David Olney and I preached the gospel to anyone who would listen."

Of his recording of "Sister Angelina," Earle said "I've played it literally hundreds of times, and I'll continue to play it whenever I need to be reminded of where I come from as an artist and why the bar for my contemporaries and myself is so high. Because David Olney was the best of us."

Holler premiered the Van Zandt live performance of Olney's "Illegal Cargo" today. The previously unreleased recording was captured at the Cat's Cradle in Chapel Hill, N.C. on March 11, 1977. Also released today is The Steeldrivers' new recording of Olney's "If My Eyes Were Blind."

Originally from Rhode Island, David Olney moved to Nashville in the early 1970s and fell in with a group of songwriters including Van Zandt, Guy Clark, Rodney Crowell, John Hiatt and Earle. He toured with his rock band the X-Rays. Olney went on to release a string of albums, and his songs were recorded by artists including Linda Ronstadt, Del McCoury and Earle.

Olney passed away at 71 of an apparent heart attack while performing in Florida in 2020.

The track list is:
1. Lucinda Williams - Deeper Well
2. Steve Earle - Sister Angelina
3. The McCrary Sisters - Voices on the Water
4. Buddy Miller - Jerusalem Tomorrow
5. The Steeldrivers - If My Eyes Were Blind
6. Willis Alan Ramsey - Women Cross the River
7. Mary Gauthier - 1917
8. R.B. Morris - Always the Stranger
9. Jimmie Dale Gilmore - If It Wasn't For the Wind
10. Anana Kaye - Running From Love
11. Greg Brown - That's My Story
12. David Olney - Sonnet #40
13. Afton Wolfe - Titanic
14. Dave Alvin with the Rick Holmstrom Trio - Steal My Thunder
15. Jim Lauderdale - Delta Blue
16. Janis Ian - She's Alone Tonight
17. Townes Van Zandt - Illegal Cargo