# Hans Olson

Hans Olson (born July 3, 1952), is an American musician and songwriter. He is a singer and plays an amplified acoustic guitar and a harmonica in a neck rack. He is known as one of the best "harp-in-a-rack" players in the world. Olson helped to establish and organize the Phoenix Blues Society (1988), the Arizona Green Party (1991), the Arizona Blues Hall of Fame (1995), the Arizona Music Heritage Foundation and the Arizona Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame (2002). In 1996, Olson was inducted into the Arizona Blues Hall of Fame. Both Phoenix Magazine and Phoenix New Times named Olson as one of the most influential musicians in Arizona.

## Musical style and influences

Olson usually performs solo, although he has played with many bands throughout his career. Olson combines a blend of blues, country, folk music and original songs. Olson has played with bands and artists such as The Allman Brothers, Tom Waits, ZZ Top, B.B. King, Muddy Waters, Allison Kraus, Chuck Berry, Bonnie Raitt, Joe Cocker, and John Fogerty. His early inspirations were Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, and Muddy Waters. He is currently endorsed by Lee Oskar harmonicas.

## Biography
### Early years

Olson was born in San Bernardino, California in 1952. At the age of five, his cousin threw an errant arrow which resulted in the loss of his eye. Olson's father died the same year. At the age of six, he watched Gene Kelly dance on TV and decided he wanted to be in show business. At the age of nine, Olson heard the music of Johnny Cash and decided he wanted to become a musician. He began playing music at the age of 12 and by 13, Olson was playing gigs, which offered the opportunity to be away from his alcoholic stepfather. In his early teens, Olson became depressed and began drinking alcohol and using drugs.

### Teenage years

In 1967, Olson began his music career in San Bernardino, California as a lead singer in a Rock & Roll band. He also began performing solo gigs in coffee shops. As a stunt, he used to carry around a switch blade. He cut his hand to "freak people out". On one occasion he was too intoxicated to realize he was holding a serrated steak knife. He ended up cutting too deep and temporarily lost all movement in his left hand. Due to his injury and limited mobility, Olson started to play the harmonica because it only required one hand. When his left hand eventually healed, he began to practice what became his trademark skill of playing the harmonica and the guitar at the same time.
In 1969, when he was 17 years old, Olson was disturbed by the news of Charles Manson's murder spree and the violence at the Altamont Speedway Free Festival. He decided to move away from California. He moved to Arizona to complete his high school degree and pursue his music career.

### Music career

In 1971, Olson was hired to perform radio commercials for Kirk's Electronics in Tempe, Arizona. Over the years he recorded several station identification ads for Phoenix, Arizona area radio stations.
In 1973, Olson was the opening act for The Allman Brothers and Boz Skaggs, with more than 22,000 people in attendance. The same year, he recorded his first album, Western Winds with Phoenix label, Joplin Records. In 2012, on the 100th anniversary of Arizona's statehood, the title song from this album was listed in the Phoenix New Times magazine as one of Arizona's 100 greatest songs.
In 1980, he toured coast to coast with Dave Mason; they played over 100 shows together. The same year, his album, Hans Olson Sings the Blues, reached No. 3 on the local Tower Records sales chart.
In 1981, he recorded his album The Aspen Tapes with session musicians, Al Kooper, Albert Lee, and Mark Naftalin and produced by William E. McEuen, the manager and producer for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.
In 1982, Olson toured with Brownie McGhee, playing harmonica and guitar. This same year, Tom Fogerty recorded one of Olson's songs as the title track on his Fantasy Records release album, Deal it Out.
In the mid 1980s Olson was part of the quartet, Hans Olson and the Rhythm Masters.
In 1986 Olson helped found the Sun Club, a former hub of the Tempe music scene. The Sun Club was fundamental in launching the careers of acts such as Dead Hot Workshop and the Gin Blossoms. After a few years, Olson filed for bankruptcy, and in 1992, the Sun Club closed.
In 1988, Olson helped to establish and organize the Phoenix Blues Society.
In 1990, Olson sang the opening and closing theme for the Burt Reynold's television series, Evening Shade.
In 1991, he helped establish the Arizona Green Party.
In 1992, he toured as Michelle Shocked's opening act, and headlined a 40 day European tour, performing in France, Germany and Austria. Phoenix radio station, KZON, used his song "You Wish" to launch its programming.
In 1993, he performed at the Peer Rhythm and Blues Festival in Belgium along with Albert Collins, Delbert McClinton, The Five Blind Boys of Alabama, CJ Chenier, and The Jeff Healey Band. He also performed at the Free Wheels Festival in France. He won "Best Solo Act" of the year at the Arizona Entertainment Awards show. He also won "Best Solo Act" of the year in the Phoenix New Times Weekly, reader's choice awards. Several of his songs were played on the Time Warner mini-series "The Wild West."
In 1995, Olson helped create the Arizona Blues Hall of Fame.
In 2000, he created the Sun Club Records label.
In 2002, he helped found the Arizona Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame.
In 2006, Olson signed with Fervor Records and has produced three full length albums and a music video for the label. Fervor also controls a vast majority of the Hans Olson back catalog.

### Legacy

Olson continues to perform and owns a recording studio in Arizona. His music has been placed in various TV shows, films, advertisements, and soundtracks for motion pictures.
Olson's music has been released on many different record labels, including Virgin Records in Europe, Fervor Records in Phoenix, Arizona, and his own label, Sun Club Records.

## Discography

| Artist | Album | Format | Record Label | CAT # | Release Date | Country |
| Hans Olson | Western Winds | LP | Joplin Records | LP-3266 | 1973 | US |
| Hans Olson | Western Winds | LP, Album, RE | Marshall Records | 10320 | 1980 | US |
| Hans Olson | I'll Be Glad/Where Did it Go | | Blond Sun Records | 1001 | 1976 | US |
| Hans Olson | Blonde Sun Album | LP, Album | Blonde Sun Records | 1002 | 1977 | US |
| Hans Olson | Sings The Blues | LP, Album | Creamo Records | 1280 | 1980 | US |
| Hans Olson | The Aspen Tapes | 7", EP | Blond Sun Records | 42136 | 1983 | US |
| Hans Olson | Solo | Cassette | Blond Sun Records | 1004 | | |
| Hans Olson | Hans Olson | CD, Album | Sky Ranch Records | SR 652314 | 1992 | US |
| Hans Olson | Hans Olson | CD, Album | Sky Ranch Records, Virgin France | 8390602, VI 390602 | 1992 | US |
| Hans Olson | Where's the Grey? | Cassette | Blond Sun Records | 1005 | 1992 | |
| Hans Olson | Blues Spotlight | VHS | Phoenix Blues Society | | 1994 | |
| Hans Olson | Arizona Blues | CD | Willing Productions | WG951 | 1995 | France |
| Hans Olson | Kachina Blues | CD | Blond Sun Records | 1006 | 1995 | |
| Hans Olson | Other Sides | CD, Album | Willing Productions | WG 9801 | 1998 | France |
| Hans Olson | The Best of Hans Olson, Volume One | CD, Album | Sun Club Records | 70882 | 2000 | |
| Hans Olson | The Best of Hans Olson, Volume Two | CD, Album | Blond Sun Records | BS 1008 | 2003 | US |
| Hans Olson | The Best of Hans Olson | CD, Comp | Sun Club Records | SCR 70882 | 2000 | US |
| Hans Olson | Another Day with the Blues | Digital Only | Fervor Records | | 2007 | US |
| Hans Olson | Hard Time | | Fervor Records | | 2009 | US |
| Hans Olson | Dust to Dust | | Fervor Records | | 2013 | US |
| Various | Wisdom For the Road | | | | 2003 | |
| Various | Ominous Clouds | LP, album | Last Flash Records | 71752 | 1982 | |
| Various | All Star Rhythm & Blues | Comp. Cassette | Tempest Recording | 1 | 1985 | |
| Various | 357 Miles East of L.A. | Comp. Cassette | Zia Records | 1 | 1989 | |
| Various | Totally Bueno | Comp. Cassette | Zia Records | 2 | 1991 | |
| Various | Southwest Holiday | Comp. Cassette | Fervor Records | FVRC01 | 1991 | |
| Various | Arizona Unplugged | Comp. Cassette | Fervor Records | FVRC112 | 1992 | |
| Various | Hijole! | Comp. Cassette | Zia Records | 3 | 1992 | |
| Various | Studio Z Live KZON Radio | Comp. Album | Indio Records | ICD-9302 | 1993 | |
| Various | The Music of the Wild West | Comp. Album | Aspen Records | | 1994 | |
| Various | Studio Brussels-Blues Town | | Dino Music | DNCD1425 | 1995 | Belgium |
| Various | Desert Blues | Comp. Album | CDGB | 1 | | |
| Various | Jazz, Rhythm & Groove | Comp. Album | Ooya Records | | 1997 | |
| Various | Bluestown | Comp. Album | 12th Street Records | TS3002 | 1998 | |
| Various | The Music of the Wild West | | Varese Sarabande Records | 066821 | 2007 | |
| Various | Blue Saguaro | Comp. Album | Fervor Records | | 1993 | |
| Various | Sky Ranch: Discover America, Chapter 1 | Comp. Album | | | 1993 | |
| Various | Shifting Gears | | Artdream Entertainment | | 2003 | |
| Various | 2 Hours From Anywhere | Comp. Album | Perfect Circle Records | | 2003 | |
| Various | Folk is Not a Four Letter Word, Vol. 2 | | | | 2006 | |
| Various | Justified | Comp. | Madison Gate Records | | 2015 | US |
| Tom Fogerty | Deal It Out | | Fantasy | | 1981 | |
| John McEuen & Hans Olson | Good Old Rebel | MP3 | Varese Sarabande | | 2014 | |
| Steven Martin | The Crow: New Songs for the Five-String Banjo | | | | 2009 | |

## TV and film credits

| Artist | Song Title | Program | Episode # | Film/TV | Network | Airdate |
| Hans Olson | Opening and Closing Theme Song | Evening Shade | | TV | CBS | |
| Hans Olson | "Another Day with the Blues" | Army Wives | 710 | TV | Lifetime | 5/12/2013 |
| Hans Olson | "Another Day with the Blues" | Army Wives | 501 | TV | Lifetime | 3/6/2011 |
| Hans Olson | "Another Day with the Blues" | Chicago Fire | 315 | TV | NBC | 2/17/2015 |
| Hans Olson | "Another Day with the Blues" | Chicago Fire | 205 | TV | NBC | 10/15/2013 |
| Hans Olson | "When I Get the Blues" | Being Human | 110 | TV | SyFy | 3/28/2011 |
| Hans Olson | "Spirit of New Orleans" | Chicago Med | 104 | TV | NBC | 12/8/2015 |
| Hans Olson | "All Night Boogie" | Comic Book Men | 101 | TV | AMC | 2/12/2012 |
| Hans Olson | "All Night Boogie" | Stevie TV | | TV | VH1 | 7/1/2013 |
| Hans Olson | "On the Porch Blues" | Comic Book Men | 101 | TV | AMC | 2/12/2012 |
| Hans Olson | "Mean Disposition" | Comic Book Men | 105 | TV | AMC | 3/11/2012 |
| Hans Olson | "Mean Disposition" | Outlaw Chronicles | | TV | History | 9/1/2015 |
| Hans Olson | "These Blues and Me" | Comic Book Men | 105 | TV | AMC | 3/11/2012 |
| Hans Olson | "Something Bad" | Haven | 403 | TV | SyFy | 9/27/2013 |
| Hans Olson | "Something Bad" | Rock the Kasbah | | Film | Open Road Films | 10/22/2015 |
| Hans Olson | "Something Bad" | Vaugand | | TV | French Network Television | 7/1/2013 |
| Hans Olson | "Send You Back to Mama" | Justified | 601 | TV | FX | 1/20/2015 |
| Hans Olson | "Western Winds" | Justified | 412 | TV | FX | 2/17/2015 |
| Hans Olson | "Hard Time" | Justified | 412 | TV | FX | 3/26/2013 |
| Hans Olson | "Freeway Boogie" | Mr. Pig | | Film | Independent | 1/26/2016 |
| Hans Olson | "50s Ups and 50s Downs" | NCIS | 1217 | TV | CBS | 3/10/2015 |
| Hans Olson | "50s Ups and 50s Downs" | Chicago Justice | 105 | TV | NBC | 3/19/2017 |
| Hans Olson | "The Sun's Going Down on Me" | One Tree Hill | 812 | TV | The CW | 1/25/2011 |
| Hans Olson | "The Sun's Going Down on Me" | Chicago PD | 504 | TV | NBC | 10/18/2017 |
| Hans Olson | "The Sun's Going Down on Me" | Vaugand | | TV | French Network Television | 7/1/2013 |
| Hans Olson | "Someday" | Stevie TV | | TV | VH1 | 7/1/2013 |
| Hans Olson | "Someday" | Suburgatory | 112 | TV | ABC | 1/18/2012 |
| Hans Olson | "Sail On" | Goliath | 103 | SVOD | Amazon | 10/14/2016 |
| Hans Olson | "Rich Man Poor Man" | Wynonna Earp | 202 | TV | SyFy | 6/16/2017 |
| Hans Olson | "Earthman" | The Guest Book | 1 | TV | TBS | 8/3/2017 |
| Hans Olson | "Dark Road" | Chanel x Barneys | | Ad | | 12/12/2017 |
His work can also be heard in the following shows:
* Cold Case
* George Lopez
* Ghost Whisperer
* Criminal Minds
* It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
* Braving Alaska (National Geographic)
* The Wild West (Time-Life/Warner Bros. mini-series)
* The Music of the Wild West (TNN)
* Man Outside (Virgin Vision Films)
* Mill Ave., Inc. (Independent film)

## On tour

Olson has toured, performed, been an opening act for, and/or recorded with the following musicians (and others):
* Michelle Shocked
* Tom Waits
* Brownie McGhee
* Al Kooper
* Albert Lee
* Dallas Taylor
* Boz Scaggs
* Dave Mason
* Allman Brothers Band
* Arlo Guthrie
* Bonnie Raitt
* Albert Collins
* John Hammond
* Jeff Healey
* Five Blind Boys of Alabama
* Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
* Elvin Bishop
* Joe Cocker
* Gatemouth Brown
* Paul Butterfield
* Canned Heat
* John Fogerty
* Johnny Winter
* Edgar Winter
* Tony Martinez Band
* Stevie Ray Vaughan
* Willie Dixon
* John Lee Hooker
* B.B. King
* Muddy Waters
* Upsuck