Allan Olsen

Allan Olsen, a Danish folk-rock singer/songwriter, launched his solo recording career during the 1980s and achieved chart-topping success within Denmark. Born March 18, 1956, in Grønholt, Denmark, he drew his primary inspiration from the singer/songwriter movement of the early to mid 1970s. Among the albums he has long regarded as favorites are the Who's Who's Next (1971), Neil Young's Harvest (1972), Nick Drake's Pink Moon (1972), Bert Jansch's L.A. Turnaround (1973), Randy Newman's Good Old Boys (1974), and Bob Dylan's Before the Flood (1974). Although shaped by American and British sounds, Olsen elected to compose and perform in his regional dialect. He reached age 33 before issuing his first solo album, Norlan (1989), which was succeeded by Gajo (1990) and Pindsvin i Pigsko (1992). His fourth release, Dalton (1992), recorded with Johnny Madsen and Lars Lilholt, proved especially popular, prompting the subsequent double-disc live set Rygter Fra Randområderne (1994). Thereafter he maintained a pattern of new studio albums every few years, including Jern (1996), Sange for Rygere (1998), and Onomatopoietikon (2000), while also issuing a consistent sequence of live recordings and compilations. Well into the new century Olsen sustained his audience, as Gæst (2004) and Multo Importante (2007) both reached the top of the Danish albums chart alongside further compilation projects.