From Viral Sensation To The Grand Ole Opry: Oliver Anthony To Make Opry Debut

The singer/songwriter says he’s “thrilled” for this opportunity.

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Lauren Jo Black

| Posted on

November 30, 2023

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10:26 am

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Photo Courtesy Oliver Anthony

Oliver Anthony (also known as Oliver Anthony Music) will soon check a major item off his bucket list when he makes his Grand Ole Opry debut on Saturday, December 16. 

The breakout star announced that he will officially be stepping into the iconic circle at the Grand Ole Opry House with a social media post that was shared early Thursday morning (Nov. 30). He made the announcement by sharing a photo of himself and his guitar player, Joey Davis, standing outside of the Grand Ole Opry Artist Entrance. 

He’s “Thrilled” To Make His Opry Debut

“You know what this means…Thrilled to perform on December 16th at the Opry,” he wrote in the caption. 

Fans were quick to share congratulatory messages with the “Rich Men North Of Richmond” singer in the comments section. 

“Huge congratulations to you!!! Can’t wait to see it,” wrote one Instagram user, while another shared, “Congratulations…What an incredible opportunity and you deserve it ❤️” 

Lauren Alaina And Jamey Johnson Will Also Perform

According to the official Grand Ole Opry website, Lauren Alaina and Jamey Johnson are also scheduled to perform at the Opry on December 16. Additional artists will be announced soon. 

Oliver Anthony - Grand Ole Opry Debut
Oliver Anthony – Grand Ole Opry Debut

Oliver Anthony previously shared the stage with Jamey Johnson in August after “Rich Men North Of Richmond” went viral on YouTube and other streaming services. The artists performed Johnson’s “In Color” together during Anthony’s free show at Morris Farm Market in Barco, North Carolina. 

Following the collaborative performance, Anthony took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to share,  “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.” 

2024 Tour

The singer/songwriter, whose real name is Christopher Anthony Lunsford, recently announced plans to embark on a 2024 world tour. The just-announced Out of the Woods Tour will bring his live show to 40+ cities across the world next year. 

Kicking off on February 1 in Stockholm, Sweden on February 1, the trek will make a few stops across the pond before returning to the United States for two consecutive nights at Nashville’s famed Ryman Auditorium.  The 31-year-old will then visit various arenas and amphitheaters around the U.S. through September 13 when the tour will wrap in Allegan, MI at the Allegan County Fair.    

Oliver Anthony - Out Of The Woods Tour
Oliver Anthony – Out Of The Woods Tour

Anthony is keeping his promise to make ticket prices affordable with the cost per ticket ranging from $25-$45 for the majority of shows, according to Billboard

Breakout Success

Less than six months ago, Oliver Anthony was an unknown artist but thanks to the viral success of his breakout single, he has now garnered millions of fans. 

In his first interview with a media platform outside of podcasts or television stations, the father of three shared an update on what life has been like since being thrown into the national and international spotlight. 

“The last 90 days have been a little crazy,” he told Billboard. “It’s funny because the music side of it has been very calming and enjoyable. It’s all the stuff behind the scenes that’s unreasonably chaotic. My life is actually a lot simpler in some ways, because I’m not working a job and juggling 10 other things with the music. But when you become a full-time musician, you’re essentially a business owner and an entrepreneur and a lot of other things, too. And those are things I’m not quite used to yet.”

YouTube video

Working On A Debut Album

The breakout singer/songwriter is currently working on his full-length debut album and recently revealed that he’s working with “one of the best in the business” as his producer.  

 “In my opinion, it’s probably going to blow away everything else I’ve done so far, because everything has been recorded with just the internal microphone off of an about broken-in-half Android phone with a cracked screen,” he explained of the upcoming project. “Even the radiowv videos used very basic equipment, so I had never had anything recorded with studio-quality equipment. So even just the vocal quality should absolutely knock people’s socks off, compared to what they’re used to hearing.”

In addition to preparing for his Opry debut and recording an album, Oliver Anthony also has a newborn baby at home. More on that HERE

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Lauren Jo Black

Written by

Lauren Jo Black

Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.