Singer-Songwriter David Olney Reportedly Says 'I'm Sorry' to Crowd, Then Dies Onstage During Performance
Singer-songwriter David Olney, 71, quietly passed away in the midst of a performance at the 30A Songwriters Festival on Saturday night.
According to NBC News, Olney was in the middle of playing for a crowd at Santa Rosa Beach in Florida when he paused, apologized, then “fell silent and dropped his head.”
Olney, considered a musical giant in the folk-rock community, was in the middle of his second festival performance of the day when he died.
Singer-songwriter David Olney has died at age 71, after falling silent and dropping his head in the midst of a performance at a songwriters festival in Florida on Saturday. https://t.co/vE0YvjB4CT
— NBC News (@NBCNews) January 20, 2020
NBC reported that at first, the musicians on stage and the crowd did not realize that Olney had passed away, thinking he was perhaps just taking an artistic pause.
Amy Rigby, who was sitting beside Olney when he stopped playing, recounted the moment on Facebook.
“Olney was in the middle of his third song when he stopped, apologized and shut his eyes,” she wrote.
“He was very still, sitting upright with his guitar on, wearing the coolest hat and a beautiful rust suede jacket we laughed about because it was raining like hell outside the boathouse where we were playing.”
Singer-songwriter David Olney, whose songs were recorded by Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris and others, died on stage while performing at a festival in Florida, his website says. He was 71. https://t.co/1nqhHoAV2O pic.twitter.com/5SShKPcRie
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) January 20, 2020
“I just want the picture to be as graceful and dignified as it was, because it at first looked like he was just taking a moment,” Rigby wrote.
Rigby said that fellow musician Scott Miller initiated an attempt to revive Olney, joined by doctors from the crowd as well as festival officials in hopes to save the singer’s life.
“I am so sorry for his wife and family and friends and all the people who loved him and his music. Even those who never heard of him,” Rigby wrote.
“We all lost someone important last night.”
Miller echoed Rigby’s words in a post of his own, describing Olney’s calm and gentle final moments.
“David was playing a song when he paused, said ‘I’m sorry’ and put his chin to his chest,” Miller wrote.
“He never dropped his guitar or fell off his stool. It was as easy and gentle as he was.
“We got him down and tried our best to revive him until the EMT’s arrived,” Miller continued. “The world lost a good one last night.”
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