Oliver Anthony Music helped ring in the new year with a powerful performance of his breakout song, “Rich Men North Of Richmond.”
In a performance that aired during Tuesday night’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve television special, Oliver Anthony sang his signature 2023 hit, “Rich Men North of Richmond,” to a group of miners in a West Virginia coal mine.
Anthony went viral with the song in August 2023, launching the singer to stardom. Within days of its release, “Rich Men” topped the sales and streaming charts, becoming the first song of any genre to debut atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart without any prior chart history.
Anthony garnered a massive following, mostly political conservatives, who connected with his blue-collar values and songs for the working man.
Oliver Anthony’s Post-“Rich Men North Of Richmond” Success
In the months after the success of “Rich Men North of Richmond,” Oliver Anthony sold out concerts, performed on the Grand Ole Opry, and released his debut studio album, “Hymnal of a Troubled Man’s Mind.”
RELATED: OLIVER ANTHONY SAYS “I NEVER HAVE TO WORK AGAIN” FOLLOWING “RICH MEN NORTH OF RICHMOND” SUCCESS
Most recently, the singer defended his decision to distance himself from the music industry. In a video shared to social media in early December, Anthony recalled the attention he received from industry insiders following his success.“Those people look at you like you’re a fuel source like you’re an oil well … and they just want to see how much oil they can get out of you,” he said.
He also called them greedy and reiterated that he had made enough money in a year to never have to work again—and he did it without a record deal or charging exorbitant prices for concert tickets.
Oliver Anthony’s New Year’s Eve Performance
Oliver Anthony made his national television debut during the New Year’s Rockin’ Eve program Tuesday night. In what was assumed to be a pre-recorded performance, Anthony wore a hard hat and played his recognizable steel guitar as he sang “Rich Men North Of Richmond” to a group of coal miners.
Fans reacted to the performance calling it “one of the coolest things I ever saw on tv” and “the best performance of the night.”
Others expressed shock that ABC would air Anthony’s performance due to his political leanings and the message expressed in his breakout song.
“If this playing live on ABC is not a sign that we are winning, I don’t know what is,” one X user wrote. Another said, “I’m gobsmacked. This is a NEW YEAR for America.Our culture returns.”
On New Year’s Day, Oliver shared a video of him covering Blake Shelton’s “Ole Red” that was recorded in the session as his performance for New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.
Wach both performance in the videos below.