SANTA ROSA BEACH, Fla. – David Olney, a folk singer who wrote songs recorded by Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris, died following a heart attack while performing in Florida, his publicist said Sunday.
Jill Kettles said Olney was on stage in Santa Rosa Beach on Saturday when he was stricken. He was 71.
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Olney, a native of Rhode Island, was part of the music scene in Nashville, Tennessee for decades and had recorded more than 20 albums, according to a release about his death posted to his website.
He was performing Saturday at the 30A Songwriters Festival. A biography on the festival’s website said Olney incorporated a variety of styles in his music, including honky tonk and rock. His songs explored offbeat topics such as a Nashville train disaster and late New York Yankees shortstop Phil Rizzuto, the release said.