About.
I grew up in Weiser, Idaho. Weiser is considered the Fiddle Capitol of the World, so ultimately bluegrass and country music were a big part of my life. My folks owned a bar with everything on the jukebox from Patsy Cline to The Rolling Stones. The bar patrons were comprised of everyone from cowboys to bikers to full-on hippies. And, everyone got along with each other. Having so many influences at a young age turned me into somewhat of a social butterfly . . . I never met a stranger and was comfortable in any setting. Musically, I was influenced by the writing of such greats as Bernie Taupin, Kris Kristofferson, John Prine, John Stewart, Willie Nelson and Jerry Jeff Walker . . . to name just a few.
I started writing music in 1976 at age 18. A few years later, Marv Ross, the co-founder and lead guitar player for the rock band Quarterflash asked me to play a few original songs at a private party. Ross was impressed enough with my music that he suggested I get some demos recorded and pitched to some major publishers. Unfortunately, I could not afford the recording costs at that time. I eventually stepped away from songwriting in 1982 to concentrate on my banking career. Through the years, I would occasionally write a poem or parody song which would gain a bit of notoriety. However, I never took up songwriting again in earnest until thirty-eight years later.
After having brain surgery in 2007, and a brush with mortality, I came to the graphic realization that life was rapidly getting shorter. It was at that point I realized my dreams of becoming a successful writer were drawing closer to becoming just that . . . dreams. By this time, my parents (I was adopted) had passed away. But, I had never forgotten the lessons and the values that they had instilled in me, one of which was to never give up on Something you believe in. So now, with the full support of my family and friends, I am off to finish the dream I started all those years ago.
At the age of 60, I made my first trip to Nashville. Making a name as a songwriter is not easy. There are thousands of songwriters in Nashville alone. Being sixty years-old and without any real songwriting resume’, few people gave me much chance of success. I often received the standard patronizing comments like “Isn’t that sweet that you are trying to write music and follow your dreams at your age”. But I was not deterred. The stars had already started lining up . . . like it was meant to be. A friend of mine, who worked for Blake Shelton, offered to help find the connections to get some demos recorded in Nashville. That led to a call from Shelton’s band leader offering the entire band for my recording sessions. At the same time, I met former Star Search winner, Dave Demay, owner and producer at Song City Studios. Dave offered to produce my music and provide the studio. Dave was also able to get three former Finalists from the hit show “The Voice” to do the vocals for the demos. One minute I’m sitting in Idaho trying pencil out some songs . . . the next minute I am in a recording studio in Nashville with Blake Shelton’s band, stars from “The Voice”, and a former Star Search Winner who is producing my music. It was a bit surreal. I was also able to spend some time with several well-known hit songwriters who provided advice and support.
When the first batch of five demos were done, I entered them in several songwriting contests worldwide to see what the “experts” would think of them, and to get feedback on how I could improve my songwriting. I have continued to test my music via various competitions ever since. The results have been pretty good. In five years, I have won Five American Track Music Awards, four Global Music Awards, two World Songwriting Awards, and was named the 2021 Male Songwriter of the Year by the International Singer Songwriters Association. I have also been a nine-time Finalist in the prestigious UK Songwriting Contest, which I won last year. I have also been a Finalist in the Great American Song Contest. In 2021, I was nominated for The International Songwriting Awards “Rising Star Award”, and a finalist along with co-writer Art Michel, for International Songwriting Team of the Year. Last year, I was runner-up for “International Singer Songwriter of the Year” in that same competition. So far, I have won awards in seven different music categories. My greatest gift is my inability to sing or play at a professional level. It’s made me a better songwriter because I am not writing songs for myself. As such, I can write comfortably in virtually any genre, male or female. It gives me a greater sense of compositional freedom.
Music contest judges really like my music because it tells a complete story and is well performed and produced. A lot of my songs are too long to get consistent airplay on mainstream radio stations, so I will end up having fewer major cuts. But I do get a ton of plays on Indie stations.
I created the “Tony Olson Music Project”, aka TOMP, as a vehicle to get my music out to a global audience. Using some of the top musicians and vocalists in Nashville, I have been able to create a diverse array of music. And a growing number of artists are recording my songs. A number of my songs have also been forwarded to publishers, films, and music libraries. And, I have artists recording my songs in several countries. My music is also played regularly on Indie radio stations worldwide. It's been one hell of a ride. I invite all of you to follow me on this journey, where ever it leads. I sincerely hope you like my stuff. Thank you for all of your kindness and support.