RICHMOND, VIRGINIA: Oliver Anthony's song 'Rich Men North of Richmond', which has generated a lot of controversy, has been an unexpected success story in the music industry this summer.
The 30-year-old American country-folk singer-songwriter, whose real name is Christopher Anthony Lunsford, currently has one of the most popular songs, a song which appeared out of nowhere this month.
Following his meteoric success with his working-class hymn 'Rich Men North of Richmond', Anthony continues to make his assertion.
Why did Oliver Anthony adopt his grandfather's name?
In a Facebook post that served as a sort of manifesto on August 17, Anthony wrote about his upbringing and musical goals, saying that he "[brushes off] 8 million dollar offers" because he doesn't want the "spotlight" that comes with becoming a country music star, including "6 tour buses, 15 tractor trailers, a jet and stadium shows."
The singer adopted his grandfather Oliver Anthony's name as a tribute to the "dirt floors, seven kids, hard times" that characterized the Appalachian region in the 1930s where the original Anthony was born and raised.
The country singer wrote in his Facebook post, "My legal name is Christopher Anthony Lunsford. My grandfather was Oliver Anthony, and ‘Oliver Anthony Music’ is a dedication not only to him, but 1930's Appalachia where he was born and raised."
The post continued, "Dirt floors, seven kids, hard times. At this point, I’ll gladly go by Oliver because everyone knows me as such. But my friends and family still call me Chris. You can decide for yourself, either is fine."
Oliver Anthony 'hates' to see his song 'Rich Men' used as a weapon
The musician responded to his song being played at this week's Republican presidential primary debate in a YouTube video posted on Friday, August 25, saying that he found it "funny" because the song "is written about the people on that stage."
As per CNN, Conservatives have praised the song in which Anthony sings of toiling away and paying taxes just to "waste (his) life away."
However, Anthony was critical of both political parties in the video and claimed that his song "has nothing to do" with Democratic President Joe Biden.
Anthony remarked, "The one thing that has bothered me is seeing people wrap politics up into this."
He further added: "It’s aggravating seeing people on conservative news try to identify with me, like I’m one of them. It’s aggravating seeing certain musicians and politicians act like we’re buddies and act like we’re fighting the same struggle here, like that we’re trying to present the same message."
Skull injury motivated Oliver Anthony to become a musician
Anthony worked for three years in a variety of blue-collar jobs, including at a paper mill in McDowell County, North Carolina, after quitting high school in 2010 and receiving his GED in Spruce Pine, North Carolina.
He held several plant jobs in western North Carolina, his last one at a paper mill in McDowell County, where he said, "I worked 3rd shift, 6 days a week for $14.50 an hour in a living hell."
The' Rich Men North of Richmond' singer relocated back to Virginia in 2013 to recover for six months after suffering a skull fracture at work. He has been employed in outside sales for the industrial manufacturing sector for the past ten years.
"I've spent all day, every day, for the last 10 years hearing the same story. People are SO damn tired of being neglected, divided and manipulated," Anthony said on Facebook.
He also called himself "not a very good person" and said he feels "hopeless...that the greatest country on Earth is quickly fading away" due to a "[parasitic]" Internet powered by "technology made by the hands of other poor souls in sweatshops in a foreign land." This situation has been a major influence on his art.
