A Virginia factory worker has become an overnight sensation after a video of him performing a soulful rendition of his blue-collar anthem went viral.
Oliver Anthony, a singer who lives in Farmville, is proving to be a hit with fans after his song ‘Rich Men North of Richmond’ was shared online.
The clip shows Anthony emotionally belting out each out word of his ‘bone-chilling’ song while strumming his guitar.
Lyrics include: ‘Lord, it’s a damn shame / What the world’s gotten to / For people like me and people like you / Wish I could just wake up and it not be true / But it is, oh, it is.’
Anthony Oliver’s emotional performance of his original song ‘Rich Men North of Richmond’ has gone viral
In just three days, more than 1.5 million people have watched him sing online
With his dog by his side, he continues: ‘Living in the new world / With an old soul / These rich men north of Richmond / Lord knows they all just want to have total control’.
The video has been watched more than 1.5 million times in just three days on radiowv’s YouTube channel.
Thousands of viewers took to the comments section to heap praise on the musician and his ability to convey emotion through his lyrics.
‘I’m a 39-year-old Iraq vet and construction worker, struggling like a dog to take care of two kids and keep a farm going when I’m not working 11 hour days,’ one new fan shared.
‘This hit so hard today I had to stop my old Peterbilt and tear up. Preach brother.’
‘This song touched me deep to my soul and I can’t wait to hear more,’ another applauded.
‘Absolutely outstanding,’ someone else said.
‘ I haven’t heard a bone-chilling original song in what seems like decades. You speak for millions of us,’ one admired.
‘So Awesome! You’re singing it with truth and soul, telling it like it is! Man, this is what America needs. It makes me feel like we have our voice back. Keep bringing it,’ another said.
Thousands of people have praised the singer for his striking voice
Anthony lives in Farmville with his three dogs and hopes to raise livestock one day
He credits one of his biggest influences as Hank Williams Jr
Among the reactions, one man, Jason Howerton, claimed to have spoken with Anthony about his passion for music.
He shared that Oliver had previously been struggling with his mental health and drinking to cope with his pain.
‘In depths of despair, just about a month ago, Oliver got to his knees and broke down in tears.’
He decided to get sober and around 30 days later his luck turned around when he was asked to record ‘Rich Men North of Richmond’ for a YouTube.
With the video now viral, Howerton says there are plans in the work for Oliver to record his first album.
His music has now touched many, including that of TV host Laura Ingraham.
‘Haunting sound and commentary on what’s happened to America’s working class,’ she posted to Twitter.
Following thousands of tags and mentions, Oliver took to his Facebook page to thank everyone for their support.
‘I’m so thankful for the support my music has gotten so far,’ he wrote.
‘I’m working on getting gigs scheduled and will post a calendar when it’s available.’
People continued to voice their support, encouraging him to keep going and share his ‘incredible’ talent with the world.
People continued to voice their support, encouraging him to keep going and share his ‘incredible’ talewith the world.
‘The passion in your eyes! Totally blown away by this song and the artist. Can’t wait to see you on the big stage one day.’
The off-the-grid farmer has been regularly sharing music on his YouTube channel for past five months.
He lives with his three dogs on a plot of land which he hopes to turn into a farm to raise livestock.
Anthony credits one of his biggest influences as Hank Williams Jr.
Fans can listen to his music on Apple Music, Spotify and Pandora.