Players' Gallery: L — Z

Patty Larkin

Patty plays a spruce-top Olson SJ and a Guild jumbo. In concert, she favors her Olson for songs in low tunings (such as Open C and CGCGCD), relying on her Guild for songs in standard and dropped-D tunings. A recent two-day wait for her Olson as an airline tracked it down (it was lost in their baggage system) convinced her to get a backup, so a second identical Olson was built for her. You'll find web pages devoted to Patty both at FolkBook, and at the Windham Hill web site.

Kathy Mattea

A renowned country artist (three gold albums and 19 Top-Ten singles as of the summer of 1995) and Grammy award winner, Kathy Mattea counts an invited performance (with Alison Krauss and Suzy Bogguss) for the President and First Lady of the United States among her more prestigious concert appearances. You can read a little about her at the Marin County Fair Web Site, and at the 94.1 KMPS FM Web Site.

Paul McCartney

Jim Olson gave a left-handed SJ cutaway to Paul McCartney in the early 1990s, via Phil Keaggy (who was performing at the wedding of a relative of Linda McCartney). The gift and ensuing jam session between Paul and Phil were documented in the Phil Keaggy Newsletter. There is a Paul McCartney Web Page hosted by Harald Gernhardt in Germany. Back in the 60s, Paul played in an obscure band called The Beatles. A good starting point for locating information about The Beatles on the web is the list of Beatles web pages at Yahoo.

Al Petteway

Instrumentalist Al Petteway began playing an Olson SJ (nicknamed "Osgood" by Cheryl Wheeler; it was her first Olson and was on loan to Al when Cheryl got her second Olson) in 1996, both in the studio and on the road. He is currently playing an Olson that he got from David Wilcox. He has won 12 WAMMIE awards (Washington [D.C.] Area Music Association awards) for his instrumental albums, which feature some of the nicest fingerstyle playing fusing Celtic and American traditions you're likely to hear, often with accompaniment by Uilleann pipes, digeridoo, bodhran, and other traditional instruments. He has also contributed great playing to recordings by other artists, including those by fellow Olson player Cheryl Wheeler. He runs his own home page; and you can reach him by email at strings@erols.com.

Lou Reed

Lou Reed is probably best known for his early 70s hit, "Take a Walk on the Wild Side." But that was merely an early milestone in a long and productive career that crosses many musical boundaries. Visit the Official Lou Reed Web Site for more info about Lou Reed's recordings and concert performances.

Sting

Sting (Gordon Matthew Sumner) ordered his Olson guitar in the Spring of 1994. The photo here shows him with his Olson in a promo shot with the Chieftans, after they recorded together. There are a number of web resources devoted to Sting and his music. A good starting point for net surfing is the index of Sting web pages at Yahoo.

James Taylor

See our James Taylor page.

Ian Tyson

Canadian Ian Tyson's illustrious career as a folk and cowboy musician has spanned three decades. His professional career began with the 60s folk duo, Ian and Sylvia, and from there moved to country-rock. After a hiatus as a horse trainer and rancher in Alberta, Tyson returned to the music world with his "new western music." His second music career keeps him busy touring all over North America, from Canada to Mexico. He has received numerous music awards, and is also a recipient of the Order of Canada. For more info about Tyson's career, visit The Legendary Ian Tyson Official Website. The especially beautiful photo of Tyson performing live with his Olson shown here is by Todd Korol.

Cheryl Wheeler

Cheryl is one of the most influential of the "new" crop of singer/songwriters. Besides being a talented songwriter, singer, and player, she is also renowned for her hilarious improvisational storytelling between songs in her live performances. Her first Olson SJ, "Osgood," is now in the more-than-capable hands of Al Petteway; Cheryl is now playing a newer SJ with a narrower neck. You can find out more about Cheryl and her music at Bill Pringle's Cheryl Wheeler Home Page, and at Gavan Tredoux's Cheryl Wheeler Page.

David Wilcox

See our David Wilcox page.