David Olney is an American folk singer/songwriter. He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill but did not graduate, instead joining Bland Simpson's band Simpson in the early 1970s. He moved to Nashville in 1973 and formed the band The X-Rays, which gained a reputation during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Since then, he has performed as a solo singer/songwriter. His songs have been covered by Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Johnny Cash, Linda Ronstadt, and Laurie Lewis, among others.