Oliver Anthony’s family broke their silence on the viral sensation, telling The Post how he was a good father who quit his job selling aluminum siding to pursue music — to stunning effect.
Anthony gave his first big interview to podcaster Joe Rogan on Wednesday. In a two-hour independent appearance, he laughed off attempts to pigeonhole him politically and decried how difficult life is for people in the forgotten countryside.
He largely avoided talking about his own family and background, other than saying he hoped someone would buy his wrecked truck, and alluding to his personal struggles with substance abuse.
But his wife Tiffany’s grandfather, Arthur Brogdon, told The Post of their pride in his success, calling him a dedicated family man.
Anthony, 31, appeared for his first major interview on Joe Rogan’s podcast. He largely avoids talking about his own family but scoffs at attempts to make him a poster boy for either right or left politics.@oliver_anthony_music_/Instagram
Oliver Anthony’s wife’s grandfather has been a big fan of the singer’s message.SAMUEL CORUM
The real name of the “Rich Men North of Richmond” singer is Chris Lunsford. He took over the stage from his late grandfather Anthony Oliver Ingle, who died in 2019.
Brogdon told The Post that Anthony met Tiffany online, after a difficult time for both of them. Anthony had a “bad first marriage,” Brogdon said, while Tiffany had a boyfriend who was seriously injured in a car accident.
“She and Chris define happiness. They are happy. They are something else,” he said.
“Chris is a religious man. He does not swear or make threats. He’s just a good person.”
Despite what is considered a simple lifestyle, Oliver Anthony and his wife Tiffany are said to “define happiness.” SAMUEL CORUM
Anthony’s music drew attention and caused him to be mobbed by fans when he played in Farmville, Va., over the weekend.SAMUEL CORUM
Anthony has an 18-month-old daughter with Tiffany, 35, and the couple are expecting a son in November. “Her name is June. I call him Junebug,” the grandfather said of the little boy. “He will be 2 years old in February.”
The two now live in England’s former home in south-central Virginia. Anthony, 31, has an older daughter from his first marriage.
Brogdon remembers Anthony and Tiffany’s wedding as a brilliant one – even if Anthony didn’t entertain the guests with a performance.
According to his wife’s grandfather, what Oliver Anthony sang was “all true”. SAMUEL CORUM
“Marriage is beautiful. It is outside. About 100 people are on the farm in Dinwiddie County,” he said. Chris and Tiffany had their dogs there and afterwards, they went to the lodge and fed everyone. There are food trucks. We ordered our food in advance; I had a Philadelphia cheesesteak.”
When Anthony isn’t performing, he and his wife do more than just hang around the house or trailer. “They’re an outside couple,” Brogdon said. “They go kayaking; they have horses; they ride ATVs. They love each other.”
And there’s no pressure in dealing with the dogs that populate the videos Anthony has posted to social media. Tiffany, Brogdon said, “wanted to be a vet. The dogs are trained to the max. He fed them individually. They didn’t eat until he told them to.”
Anthony’s family says he and his wife Tiffany (above) are keen kayakers. tiffany.brogdon.73/Facebook
Before “Rich Men North of Richmond” topped the Billboard charts, Brogdon said, Anthony “was selling [materials] for buildings and goods. He got a good life. He is dedicated to everything he does.”
The singer quit his job with construction supplier Chesterfield Trading Co., of Richmond, Va., last year to work full-time on his music. He used to be part of its sales team, responsible for selling aluminum siding.
Anthony became an overnight sensation in early August with “Rich Men North of Richmond” thanks to YouTube, though he told Rogan he largely avoids social media.
Before he quit his music career last year, Anthony (circled) was a salesman for Richmond-based building supply company Chesterfield Trading Co., and was featured on their promotional materials.
He drew strong support for his heartfelt lyrics and was hailed by conservatives for his call to reduce government reliance, but refused to be assigned by one party or the other after the Republican presidential candidate was asked about his song in the first major debate last week.
On Rogan’s show, he said he wants people to understand that “All over rural Virginia, poverty is a big issue, and drugs are a big issue, and I mean it’s not just in rural areas, and you go downtown Richmond or any- any downtown anywhere for that matter.”
He also offered some insight into his own mental health journey, saying he “ran with SSRIs” but the side effects weren’t worth it.
Anthony was described by his wife’s grandfather as “a good man”. Last weekend he was the biggest draw at Farmville’s Rock the Block festival, posing for pictures and signing SAMUEL CORUM’s autograph
Anthony said he lives in a tent covered by a tarp he bought for $750. His grandfather-in-law said he lived in a house he inherited from his own grandfather, but was so crowded with fans that he sometimes couldn’t get home.
“Because everyone was violating his privacy, he had to put up a security system. Hell, he can’t go home,” Brogden said.
“Chris is a relaxed type who doesn’t talk much. He said more on stage than he did to us. When he comes here, he doesn’t say much.”
This was the scene when Anthony performed in Farmville, Va., over the weekend. His family said he was so inundated with fans that he sometimes couldn’t get home.SAMUEL CORUM
Oliver Anthony gained fame and lost privacy, according to his wife’s grandfather.SAMUEL CORUM
Asked how Anthony became so good at guitar, Brogdon wasn’t sure that musicianship was a factor in his success: “I didn’t think he could play that well. If you listen, he mixes words with plunking.”
As Brogdon sees it, words are the essence. “I listen to Chris’s music every day. I didn’t like it at first,” he said. But his view changed when he learned more about it.
“Everything is true,” he said. “He went to Farmville to play and I heard him on the phone.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
