Mark Olson (musician)
Mark John Olson (born September 18, 1961 in Minneapolis, Minnesota) is an American folk and Americana musician and singer-songwriter. He co-founded two bands, The Jayhawks and The Original Harmony Ridge Creekdippers.
Olson formed The Jayhawks in 1985 with Gary Louris, becoming the band's main singer-songwriter. The group released Hollywood Town Hall in 1992, produced by Tom Drakoulias, followed by Tomorrow the Green Grass in 1995, which included the radio hit "Blue." In 1995 Olson left the Jayhawks to care for his wife Victoria Williams, who had multiple sclerosis. The Jayhawks continued and released more albums before going on hiatus in 2005.
After leaving the Jayhawks, Olson started the Original Harmony Ridge Creekdippers with Williams and Mike "Razz" Russell. They released several albums from 1997 to 2004, including The Original Harmony Ridge Creek Dippers (1997), Pacific Coast Rambler (1998), Zola and the Tulip Tree (1999), My Own Jo Ellen (2000, under the name Mark Olson and the Original Harmony Ridge Creekdippers), December's Child (2002), Mystic Theatre (2004), and Political Manifest (2004). After Williams left in 2005, Olson toured with Louris in late 2005 and early 2006.
Olson released The Salvation Blues in 2007, a personal album inspired by his divorce. He toured with Italian violinist Michele Gazich and Norwegian musician Ingunn Ringvold, performing widely. In 2008 he released Ready for the Flood with Louris (produced by Chris Robinson), which came out in the U.S. in January 2009.
The Jayhawks reunited in 2011 for Mockingbird Time, featuring Olson, Louris, Marc Perlman, Karen Grotberg, and Tim O'Reagan. The album was released September 20, 2011, with a supporting tour. Olson left the band again in 2012, saying he did not want to work with Louris anymore.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 19:14 (CET).