Olney was a key member of Nashville's music scene. Getty

David Olney, a singer-songwriter from Nashville, died mid-song during a festival performance in Florida.

According to a musician who was playing next to him, the 71-year-old was mid-song when he "paused, said 'I'm sorry,' and put his chin to his chest."

Olney, who was a key member in Nashville's music scene, is survived by his wife and two children.

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American singer-songwriter David Olney died of an apparent heart attack while performing on-stage at a festival in Florida on Saturday.

The 71-year-old was halfway through his third song when he suddenly apologized, fell silent, and closed his eyes, according to two musicians who were performing alongside him.

"David was playing a song when he paused, said 'I'm sorry' and put his chin to his chest. He never dropped his guitar or fell off his stool. It was as easy and gentle as he was," one of the musicians, Scott Millet, wrote in a Facebook post.

"We got him down and tried our best to revive him until the EMTs arrived. The world lost a good one last night but we still have his work. And it still inspires," Millet continued.

The singer-songwriter from Nashville, who was one of the main acts at the songwriter festival in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, suffered an apparent heart attack during the show, a statement said.

Amy Rigby, who had also been on stage with Olney, wrote: "He was very still, sitting upright with his guitar on, wearing the coolest hat and a beautiful rust suede jacket. In the beginning, it looked like he would only take a short break. We lost an important person last night."

The Rhode-Island native was a pioneer of folk music and recorded more than 20 solo albums, including This Side Or The Other, which was released in August 2018.

He also produced albums with country greats like Linda Ronstadt, Steve Young, or Emmylou Harris. He is survived by his wife and two children.

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