Acclaimed Producer Keith Olsen (Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, Scorpions) Has Passed Away
Keith Oslen, who produced records by the likes of Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake and Scorpions, has died.
Keith Olsen has sadly passed away.
According to AllMusic.com, the acclaimed music producer had over 200 credits to his name, contributing to six GRAMMY Awards, 45 Gold or Platinum Record Awards, and the sales of 110 million singles, LPs and CDs.
Keith worked on the likes of Ozzy Osbourne's No Rest For The Wicked, Scorpions' Crazy World, and Whitesnake's self-titled LP and Slip Of The Tongue, as well as producing the work of other musical legends such as Fleetwood Mac and Rick Springfield.
For many of these releases, Keith worked at the legendary Sound City Studios in Los Angeles – the subject of the excellent 2013 documentary Sound City, which was directed by Dave Grohl.
“We just learned about the passing of our dear friend and producer Keith Olsen," Scorpions say. "Keith produced many iconic albums, including our album Crazy World.
“Keith was a wonderful guy, and the making of Crazy World was such an inspiring journey, containing outstanding songs like Wind Of Change and Send Me An Angel, which had the Keith Olsen touch on every single note. Our hearts and prayers go out to his family. RIP Keith. You live on in the music."
Rick Springfield, who recruited Keith for his legendary hit Jessie's Girl, also took to social media to pay his respects:
“My amazing and talented friend Keith Olsen has passed away," he said. "Such a gifted producer. And later on a wonderful guy. Ha, ha!
“He could be a bit of a pistol in the studio but that was part of his talent. Sticking to his guns when some whiny artist – me – would say, ‘I don’t think that works.’
“He didn't produce all those hits for all those musicians for no reason. He had a golden ear and helped so many people reach their potential. I remember playing him my demos and he picked Jessie’s Girl out of a batch of 15 songs and said, ‘This is a hit.’
“I doubted him and thought there were better songs in my demo reel. Proof right there of his gift. May God give your spirit the peace and joy and the rest it deserves. You were a star maker in so many ways. God bless your memory my friend.”
Watch Keith in conversation with David Coverdale discussing their past on Whitesnake TV below:
Kerrang! would like to extend our condolences to Keith's family and his friends at this time.