Legendary rockstar Ollie Olsen passed away last week at the age of 66 just days after he and his long-term partner Jayne Olsen tied the knot.
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In a statement on Facebook, it was revealed that Ollie Olsen had “fought and hard like the Viking he was” against Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) since 2019. He died on Oct. 16 in Melbourne.
“He passed peacefully in his sleep this morning under the care of The Royal Melbourne Hospital with his wife Jayne at his side,” the Facebook post reads. “We ask for privacy during this difficult time.”
The team behind Ollie Olsen’s Facebook thanked his fans for their support. “If you wish to help Jayne with funeral costs, you may do so via Ollie’s last fundraiser via Support Act,” they added.
Olsen first hit the Australian music scene in the mid-70s. His post-punk groups include Whirlywirld, Orchestra of Skin and Bone, and No. He teamed up with Michael Hutchence of INXS to former Max Q. The group released an album in 1989. He later co-founded alternative electronic music record label Psy-Harmonics with Andrew Till in 1993.
In 2014, he helped form an experimental drone band, the Taipan Tiger Girls.
Weeks before his death, it was announced Olsen would be inducted into the Music Victoria Hall of Fame on Oct. 24, 2024.
“Ollie Olsen is easily the people’s choice for a Hall of Fame induction,” Music Victoria CEO Simone Schinkel stated, per Olsen’s Facebook page. “Music Victoria has been overwhelmed with calls for his induction dating back many years. He is a true artist and visionary in every sense of the word, consistently forging his own path, delivering groundbreaking sounds with each new decade, influencing generations of musicians, and we’re proud to celebrate his enduring legacy.”
Ollie Olsen’s Wife Jayne Pays Tribute to Him
Days after Ollie Olsen died, his wife Jayne took to his Facebook account to pay tribute to him.
“Missing having my darling Ollie beside me and hearing his breathing,” she wrote. “Ollie fought so so hard during the duration of his MSA diagnosis and especially at the end of his life.
She continued, “He was so incredibly strong to be able to endure what was happening in his body. He had pressure injuries, migraines, Emphysema, intense reflux, rapid Atrial Fibrillation with ventricular response (this can cause a stroke or heart attack at any given moment), uncontrollable pain, skin infections, multiple chest infections, and was choking and getting aspiration pneumonia from almost everything he ate and drank. This was all due to the MSA, it’s all in the name: Multiple System Atrophy.”
Despite his health battle, Jayne said Ollie never complained. “He showed me he is the strongest person I have ever met,” she pointed out. “We were both being pummeled by the MSA near the end.”
“Ollie never raised his voice or became aggressive with me,” she added. “Even when he was in agony he was always so gentle and kind and sweet. My Viking warrior, I hope you’re feasting in the halls of Valhalla.”
In Jan. 2019, Olsen announced on his Facebook account that he was officially retiring from music. He had begun to experience symptoms of his illness but did not receive the diagnosis yet.
However, a little over a year later, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he made his return and released the Whirlywirld Complete Discography 1978-80 LP. That same year, he was diagnosed with Multiple System Atrophy.