Australian Music Icon Ollie Olsen Passes Away, Aged 66
Olsen passed away "peacefully" by his wife Jayne's side.
Ollie Olsen (Credit: Supplied)
Influential Melbourne artist Ollie Olsen has passed away, aged 66, his family shared on social media today.
According to a post shared on the musician’s social media accounts, he passed away “peacefully” with his wife, Jayne, by his side. Olsen passed away following a lengthy illness of Multiple System Atrophy.
You can read the statement below.
It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Ollie Olsen. Ollie fought long and hard like the Viking he was against Multiple System Atrophy since 2019 when he first began to have symptoms.
He passed peacefully in his sleep this morning under the care of The Royal Melbourne Hospital with his wife Jayne at his side.
We ask for privacy during this difficult time.
Thank you for your support over the years, if you wish to help Jayne with funeral costs, you may do so via Ollie’s last fundraiser via Support Act.
The terrible news arrives a week out from Olsen’s induction into the Music Victoria Hall of Fame for his impact and legacy on the Victorian music scene and Australia’s national reputation for music.
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Beginning his career in the late ‘70s, Olsen formed the short-lived punk outfit The Young Charlatans with Rowland S Howard (1977-78) before taking on a more avant-garde post-punk approach with Whirlywirld (1978-80) alongside future Models keyboardist Andrew Duffield.
Olsen’s name became synonymous with Victoria’s musical identity as he took on multiple roles within the industry: multi-instrumentalist, composer, and sound designer. He collaborated with or was part of Orchestra Of Skin And Bone (1984-86), NO (1987-89), Max Q with Michael Hutchence (1989-90), Third Eye, Hugo Klang, Primitive Ghost, Taipan Tiger Girls, and many more.
Announcing his induction into the Music Victoria Hall of Fame earlier this month, Music Victoria CEO Simone Schinkel said, “Ollie Olsen is easily the people’s choice for a Hall of Fame induction.
“He is a true artist and visionary in every sense of the word, consistently forging his own path, delivering groundbreaking sounds with each new decade, influencing generations of musicians, and we’re proud to celebrate his enduring legacy.”
In recent years, Olsen was absent from the live music space. He retired from music in 2019 and announced his diagnosis of multiple system atrophy the following year.
In 2023, Adalita, Mick Harvey, and Andrew Duffield re-recorded Olsen’s Rooms For The Memory (which was released as a single by Michael Hutchence in 1987) as part of a campaign to raise funds for his medical expenses.
You can head here to contribute to Support Act’s fundraiser for Olsen and his family.
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