Musician Oliver Anthony revealed on Thursday that he brushed off various $8 million offers from the music industry.
Anthony, who lives in Farmville, Virginia, dropped "Rich Men North of Richmond" on YouTube last week to the reception of more than 20 million views and more than 1 million likes. His previous release on his record label received roughly a tenth of the engagement. The lyrics imply that the titular characters of the song are the politicians in Washington, which is over 100 miles north of Richmond, Virginia.
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"People in the music industry give me blank stares when I brush off 8 million dollar offers," Anthony wrote on Facebook. "I wrote the music I wrote because I was suffering with mental health and depression. These songs have connected with millions of people on such a deep level because they're being sung by someone feeling the words in the very moment they were being sung. No editing, no agent, no bulls***. Just some idiot and his guitar. The style of music that we should have never gotten away from in the first place."
Anthony also revealed his legal name is Christopher Anthony Lunsford, explaining that he got his stage name from his grandfather, who raised seven children. His post included a photo of his grandfather's family circa 1930 in Appalachia.
The singer-songwriter announced he was going on tour, with his first stop being a free concert in North Carolina. Anthony explained that it wouldn't include "6 tour buses, 15 tractor trailers and a jet."
"I don't want to play stadium shows, I don't want to be in the spotlight," Anthony wrote.
He explained that he lives in a camper he bought for $750 on Craigslist on property he bought for $97,500. From the time he dropped out of high school in 2010 to 2013, he worked several plant jobs, with his most recent one earning him $14.50 an hour until he had a bad fall and fractured his skull. Anthony admitted he has struggled with mental health and alcohol consumption for five years.
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Anthony's latest release is available on music streaming services, ranking No. 1 on iTunes. Another one of his songs, "Ain't Gotta Dollar," is No. 2 on the platform, and "I've Got to Get Sober" is at No. 3. He has more than 2 million monthly listeners on Spotify, an increase from the 40,000 he had before releasing his latest song.
Anthony's Instagram account has gained followers since the release of his song. He has over 670,000 followers and previously had fewer than 10,000.