Why Sheryl Crow Relates to Olivia Rodrigo: She ‘Inspires Me to Keep Going’

By Joseph Hudak

Joseph Hudak

Sheryl Crow can’t help but be impressed by Olivia Rodrigo. In fact, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member says the “Drop Dead” singer-songwriter is a source of inspiration for her own career, now more than three decades since Crow’s debut, 1993’s Tuesday Night Music Club.

“There are a lot of really authentic young artists out there, many of which are women I love and admire and inspire me to keep going,” Crow tells Rolling Stone’s Nashville Now podcast. “And she’s at the top of that list for me.”

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Crow praises Rodrigo, a likely nominee when Grammy nominations are announced on Nov. 16, for her songwriting (“She’s very, very clever”) and her musicianship, which she says can often be overlooked when an artist also exists “in the world of beauty and curated fashion.”

But she’s particularly taken with the activism and giving back that Rodrigo has made part of her career. She cites Rodrigo’s all-women festival last August, Daisy Chain Fields, as an example. “She’s doing the work, and when I spoke to her the other night, I said, ‘You cannot underestimate the trail you leave behind you of goodness,” Crow says. “The way you affect people, the way you motivate people to look around and go, ‘I got turned on to this charity at Daisy Chain.’ It’s like the Lilith [Fair] thing — let’s all be a part of our community.”

Crow and Rodrigo’s history goes back to 2023, when the pair performed together at Nashville’s Bluebird Café and later at Crow’s Rock Hall induction. They also shared a stage in Nashville during Rodrigo’s tour date at Bridgestone Arena. Most recently, Rodrigo sang “Strong Enough” at an industry dinner honoring Crow.

“She’s a really good person,” Crow says. “I related to her so much because I met her parents, who were very involved… They raised her with expectations that you are going to grow up and be a thoughtful, good person…. It reminds me of my parents.”

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