Who’s Oliver Anthony? The comparatively unknown singer went from lamenting blue-collar life to turning down six-figure stadium offers. However who’s the singer behind “Wealthy Males North of Richmond?”
“I’ve been sellin’ my soul, workin’ all day / Extra time hours for bullsh*t pay—” is the opening line of the track which has wracked up over 28 million views within the two brief weeks it has been on-line. It’s the most streamed track in America on the iTunes platform, rapidly rising to the highest of the charts. The track expresses frustration with the nation in a method that has pundits each left and proper dissecting the track’s lyrics.
Oliver Anthony himself says the transition has been troublesome for him to handle. “I’m sitting in such a bizarre place in my life proper now. I by no means needed to be a full-time musician, a lot much less sit on the high of the iTunes charts. Draven from RadioWV and I filmed these tunes on my land with the hope that it might hit 300,000 views. I nonetheless don’t fairly imagine what has went on since we uploaded that. It’s simply unusual to me.”
The Farmville, Virginia native’s actual title is Christopher Anthony Lunsford. He says the stage title Oliver Anthony is an homage to his grandfather, who was born and raised within the Appalachian mountains of Virginia within the Nineteen Thirties. “Dust flooring, seven children, laborious instances,” is how he describes the life his grandpa lived, earlier than sharing a bit bit extra about himself.
“In 2010, I dropped out of highschool at age 17. I’ve a GED from Spruce Pine, NC. I labored a number of plant jobs in Western NC, my final being on the paper mill in McDowell County. I labored third shift, six days per week, for $14.50 an hour in a dwelling hell.” Lunsford has additionally shared he suffered a cranium fracture in 2013 that compelled him to maneuver again house to Virginia.
He says whereas recovering from that harm, he started to journey and meet different blue-collar staff who shared the identical woes. “Individuals are so rattling bored with being uncared for, divided, and manipulated,” the singer shared on his Fb web page. He’s presently dwelling on a chunk of property he purchased in 2019 in a 27-foot camper van.
“There’s nothing particular about me. I’m not a great musician. I’m not an excellent individual. I’ve spent the final 5 years scuffling with psychological well being and utilizing alcohol to drown it,” he continues.