Who is Oliver Anthony? A look at the country musician behind 'Rich Men North of Richmond'

Country singer Oliver Anthony has engendered more than his fair share of controversy in his short career.

Just a month after his "Rich Men North of Richmond" rocketed the Virginia-born musician to national notoriety, Anthony made more headlines when he abruptly canceled and rebooked a Knoxville show over high ticket prices.

Anthony now will perform Sept. 28 at Smokies Stadium in Sevier County, with tickets selling out within 90 minutes. The popular singer has said he will return to the area in the spring.

So who is Oliver Anthony, anyway, and what has made him a polarizing figure on the national stage?

Who is Oliver Anthony?

Anthony, a previously unknown, rural-born, red-bearded country artist, surged from seeming anonymity to the top of the Billboard charts very quickly.

Anthony, whose legal name is Christopher Anthony Lunsford, has said he took his grandfather's name to honor him and the 1930s Appalachia in which he was born and raised. Anthony dropped out of high school at 17 and worked low-wage plant jobs for years before moving into sales.

"My job has taken me all over Virginia and into the Carolinas, getting to know tens of thousands of other blue collar workers on job sites and in factories," Anthony wrote in a Facebook post. "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."

Where is Oliver Anthony from?

Anthony lives in Farmville, Virginia, and has said that he had been living in a camper with a tarp on the roof that he bought off Craigslist for $750.

How did Oliver Anthony become a country star?

According to Anthony, he never wanted to be a full-time musician. His social media posts began in September 2022, with his first song, "Ain't Got A Dollar," posted on Facebook on Sept. 21, 2022.

In early August, the owner of the Youtube channel RadioWV posted a home-shot video of "Rich Men North of Richmond" with the following accompanying message:

"When I first came across Oliver Anthony and his music, I was blown away to say the least. He had a whole collection of songs that I could listen to for hours. ... We have a whole mess of songs set to release of Oliver for your viewing and listening pleasure, he is truly special and notes his biggest influence as Hank Williams Jr. Oliver wants to give hope to the working class and your average hard working young man who may have lost hope in the grind of trying to get by."

By Aug. 10, the single had been uploaded to all major streaming platforms. Three days later, the song reached No. 1 on iTunes's all-genre streaming charts.

Why did 'Rich Men North of Richmond' become so controversial?

At first glance, Anthony's "Rich Men North of Richmond" seems an unlikely lightning rod for the politically conservative. The blue-collar anthem rails against taxation and the political elite. But it also takes a shot at welfare, with the now-infamous lines, "If you're 5-foot-3 and you're 300 pounds, taxes ought not to pay for your bags of fudge rounds."

Conservative media consulting firm Reach Digital's co-founder Jason Howerton was one of the first right-wing pundits to support Anthony's song and its message. Within days, commentators like Joe Rogan, Laura Ingraham and Matt Walsh praised him publicly.

The song was mentioned during the first GOP 2024 United States presidential election debate, with moderator Martha MacCallum asking Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis why he felt "Rich Men North of Richmond" was impacting so many lives.

DeSantis alluded to his misgivings about President Joe Biden's economic policies and the numerous policy impasses that have plagued the past four years of America's history.

In response, Anthony released a ten-plus minute-long YouTube video, continuing his song's conversation about sociopolitical divisions in America while also clarifying what he believes are misconceptions about him.

What happened at Oliver Anthony's show at Cotton Eyed Joe's?

Cotton Eyed Joe, a nightclub in Farragut, announced Anthony would be performing at the venue Sept. 27. Ticket prices were listed at $99, and a meet and greet would cost fans $199. Things quickly went sideways.

“I had to pull off on the side of the road and make this video. My adrenaline's pumping, man,” Anthony said in a video he recorded Sept. 11 after learning about the venue’s ticket prices. “Don't buy Cotton Eyed Joe tickets for 99 dollars apiece. And sure as hell, don't buy VIP passes for whatever (BS) price they're on.”

Cotton Eyed Joe promoters explained that Anthony had agreed to play a 60-minute set at the Knoxville bar for $120,000 and they set the ticket price to break even. The venue ultimately decided to cancel the show altogether.

When is Oliver Anthony's Knoxville concert?

Anthony quickly rescheduled his concert for the Knoxville Convention Center on Sept. 29 and the show quickly sold out.

But the confusion continued, with the singer moving his East Tennessee concert for a second time, to a larger venue. The performance is now scheduled for Sept. 28 at Smokies Stadium in Sevier County. That concert also is sold out.

The stadium’s stand seating has a capacity of around 6,400, but Anthony sold 9,500 tickets (including field seats), according to a news release.

Liz Kellar is a Tennessee Connect reporter. Email liz.kellar@knoxnews.com. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Oliver Anthony: What to know ahead of Smokies Stadium concert