Viral Overnight Sensation Having Second Thoughts About Recent Success

Oliver Anthony Music/Youtube

WHO IS OLIVER ANTHONY?

We now know more about the seemingly 'overnight sensation' Oliver Anthony, who, with his simple heartfelt song, "Rich Men North of Richmond" reached 2 million views in the first two days of its being published. He recorded the video above just before releasing Rich Men North of Richmond and stated that since he's learned how much his music is touching so many people, he's decided that THIS is what he is going to do. Start producing, writing, and singing his songs.

Now that he's become an overnight sensation, some are concerned about the pressures it may have put on him.  Below you can read his post about the song's success, and it sounds as if he may be really struggling with the success and attention that this song has brought him.

Get our free mobile app

ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME

It's probably a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing that won't happen for most singer/songwriters who long to make a name for themselves in country music; moving to Nashville; playing every club, on every corner, for years and years before ever being recognized.

Now that things have moved so fast, Oliver Anthony states that he never wanted any of this, and has written a very long letter explaining his shock over what has happened. His real name is Christopher Anthony Lunsford.

Anthony writes:

'People in the music industry give me blank stares when I brush off 8 million dollar offers. I don't want 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. 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.'