Viral singer and songwriter Oliver Anthony got a big surprise when country artist Jamey Johnson joined him for a rendition of Johnson’s 2008 hit “In Color.” Johnson joined the singer during his free show at the Morris Farm Market in Barco, North Carolina on Sunday (August 13).
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“I’m not sure I’ll ever top this moment where Jamey Johnson surprised me to sing his all-time classic with me on stage,” shared Anthony on social media. “What a legend.”
A big supporter of new artists, Johnson produced singer-songwriter Erin Enderlin’s album, Whiskeytown Crier, in 2017. Earlier in 2023, Johnson and Deana Carter also surprised Megan Moroney in a recording studio to invite her to make her Grand Ole Opry debut. Johnson later joined Moroney on stage during her show in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to perform several songs, including the John Prine classic “Angel From Montgomery.”
[RELATED: 5 Songs You Didn’t Know Jamey Johnson Wrote]
Anthony, a farmer from Farmville, Virginia who lives with his three dogs, recently went viral on social media for his performance of his original song “Rich Men North Of Richmond,” which already gained more than 11 million views on YouTube.
Singing I’ve been sellin’ my soul, workin’ all day / Overtime hours for bullshit pay / So I can sit out here and waste my life away / Drag back home and drown my troubles away on “Rich Men North of Richmond,” the singer delivers his ode to the working class who may have lost hope during the daily grind.
Already drawing crowds of hundreds to his shows at small farmer’s markets, Anthony’s “Rich Men North of Richmond” also shot to No. 1 on the iTunes Country and iTunes General charts within a week, following its release on Tuesday (August 7),” and bumped Jason Aldean’s controversial new single “Try That In A Small Town” from the top spot.
The Top 10 of the iTunes Country chart is currently filled in by several other songs by Anthony, and the singer’s Instagram page has also seen a surge with more than half a million followers.
“Rich Men North Of Richmond” follows Anthony’s other blue-collar anthems like “Ain’t Gotta Dollar” and “I’ve Got To Get Sober” and other songs he’s been releasing on Spotify under Oliver Anthony Music since 2022.
Writing since 2021, Anthony recently revealed that he has struggled with mental health issues and recently got sober from alcohol. When Anthony was 30 days sober, radiowv, a YouTube channel that highlights musicians around West Virginia, asked him if he would record “Rich Men North Of Richmond” and share it on their page.
Several days after releasing his now-viral hit, Anthony also shared a performance of his song “Virginia” on the radiowv channel. Down some old backer roads / Where the green grass grows / On down in the hills / Where the folks on horseback rode / Lordy I’ll tell the youngins when I grow old sings Anthony in his old-soul ode centered around his upbringing in his home state.
Photo: YouTube
