Local blues artist releases a new recording of one of his songs
R.D. Olson, a singer/songwriter and Arizona Blues Hall of Fame inductee, who is now living and recording in Hot Springs, has released a new version of one of his classic songs that was rerecorded at Big Event Music in Hot Springs.
“Mama, I Miss Memphis,” was first recorded in 1994, but was rerecorded with legendary guitarist Brent Frazier, and Mike Lovelady on keyboard and drums, and officially rereleased in the fall of 2020 and is currently receiving global airplay, a new release states.
Olson said the song “literally came to me” while driving to work one day in 1994. “I pulled over to the side of the road, found a pen, and quickly wrote down the lyrics before they vanished from my mind. Later that evening, I sat
down to finish writing the song and realized it was Aug. 16 — the same day Elvis had passed away in 1977,” he said, noting, ” It was as though Elvis knew his fans needed to hear from him again, and to proclaim he was still with them in spirit!”
The song is one of the tracks Olson has recorded for his soon-to-be-released CD titled “Born in the Country.” The song, along with others, is available at CD Baby, and on his website, http://www.rdolsonbluesband.com.
A native of Zumbrota, Minn., Olson was one of seven children and “as a young boy working in the fields and at night in the barn,” he would hear the sounds of Nashville, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, and Elvis Presley. It was the style of Elvis that led him to the blues. Muddy Waters, whom he would later meet and jam with, B.B. King, Luther Allison, Buddy Reed, and Chico Chism, to name a few, were his influences, the release said.
The R.D. Olson Blues Band won the 2014 Phoenix Blues Society’s blues challenge and represented Arizona in Memphis twice at the yearly International Blues Challenge.
“You can’t help but feel a live performance resonate in your soul.
R.D. has 30-plus years of blues experience, gained by stints with Luther Allison, Chico Chism and Buddy Reed. All are Blues stalwarts,” the release said.