Jamey Johnson Joins Viral Hitmaker Oliver Anthony to Perform ‘In Color’
Singer-songwriter Oliver Anthony’s name was all over the interwebs this past weekend thanks to his viral hit “Rich Men North of Richmond.” A performance of the song shared by radiowv — a YouTube channel that highlights musicians around West Virginia — just five days ago now stands at over nine million views on YouTube. The song also hit No. 1 on the all-genre iTunes chart, and Anthony recently put his songs on streaming platforms, including Spotify, where he made songs including “Rich Men North of Richmond,” “Ain’t Gotta Dollar” and “I Want to Go Home” available.
On Sunday (Aug. 13), Anthony performed a free show Morris Farm Market in Barco, North Carolina — a show that Anthony noted on social media brought out enough people to fill 25 acres with cars.
“Thanks to everyone who stayed after for photos and to tell me your story. It means more than words can describe,” he wrote. He performed songs including “Rich Men North of Richmond,” and shared video of the packed crowd that showed up.
Anthony also got a huge surprise when he was joined by country singer-songwriter Jamey Johnson, who collaborated with Anthony on a rendition of Johnson’s 2008 hit “In Color.”
“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. What a legend,” Anthony later shared on X (formerly known as Twitter).
Johnson has been a strong supporter of new artists. He recently surprised Megan Moroney in a recording studio, where he invited her to make her Grand Ole Opry debut, and later joined her during a show in Pittsburgh to perform a few songs, including the late John Prine’s “Angel From Montgomery.” He also previously produced an album recorded by singer-songwriter Erin Enderlin.
Jessica Nicholson
Billboard
