Oliver Anthony has made the difficult decision to cancel his upcoming concert at the Cotton Eyed Joe in Knoxville, Tennessee.
The rising country artist, known for his viral hit “Rich Men North Of Richmond,” expressed his disappointment at the high ticket prices ($99) and paid meet-and-greet opportunities ($199) associated with the show.
See His Full Statement Below
Taking responsibility for the situation, Anthony shared a statement with his followers that provided full transparency regarding the circumstances.
“Cotton Eyed Joe has been cancelled. Ultimately, it’s my fault for not being more directly involved with the venues who have reached out,” Oliver Anthony admitted. “My plate has been full and I delegated the responsibility to someone else to help me book. I am not pointing fingers at Cotton Eyed Joe, I don’t know where the miscommunication took place.”
Upset About High Ticket Prices
He went on to share his frustrations over the ticket prices and promised to ensure that fans who already purchased tickets receive a full refund, even if that means he has to use his own money to reimburse them.
“I’m just upset seeing those prices. We will find another place in Knoxville area that can do $25 ticket and free meet and greet,” he said. “I will work to get your tickets refunded from my own budget if they can’t.”
“This Will Never Happen Again”
He concluded his statement by promising that this situation would serve as a learning experience, ensuring that such pricing discrepancies wouldn’t happen again in the future.
“This will never happen again. Thanks for your patience. I am still learning how all of this works,” Anthony added.
Just hours before the official cancellation, Anthony addressed the cost of the show, which was booked by his friend who works full time as a plumber.
“I apologize for the price at Cotton Eyed Joe. Have a friend of mine trying to help me book gigs. I told him I don’t want to do anything that’s more than $40 a ticket, ideally no more than $25 a piece,” he explained. “These are supposed to be affordable shows. Please don’t pay $90 for a ticket. I’m going to work out the details with him and if we have to reschedule this event somewhere else we will.”
He later reminded fans that two out of the four concerts that he has played have been free.
Deemed A “Class Act”
Fans flocked to the comments section of Anthony’s post to praise him for remaining true to his roots and looking out for the working man.
“Your integrity is next level,” wrote one Instagram user, while another shared, “Class act!”
Another user wrote, “Dude, that’s awesome. You can single handedly dismantle and rebuild the system that destroyed the independent…thank you…God bless.”
Performed At Blue Ridge Rock Festival
The news comes after Oliver Anthony performed a full set at Blue Ridge Rock Festival in Virginia. He also performed a surprise set alongside Shinedown and Papa Roach in the parking lot after the festival was cancelled due to weather.
The Virginia native will soon take to the road for several performances at upcoming festivals, including Tootsies Birthday Bash, Poppy Mountain Music Festival, Louder Than Life, Alley Fest, Appalachia Meets The Ozarks and more.
Made History With “Rich Men North Of Richmond”
In August, Oliver Anthony made a historic debut at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard Hot Country Songs chart with “Rich Men North of Richmond.”
The viral hitmaker became the first artist in history to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with no prior chart history “in any form,” according to a report from Billboard.
Additionally, this achievement makes Oliver Anthony the first unsigned artist since 1994 to be No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The last unsigned artist to earn a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 was Lisa Loeb with her single, “Stay (I Missed You),” which was released in 1994 via RCA Records.
He reacted to the news, telling Billboard, “The hopelessness and frustration of our times resonate in the response to this song,” he told the outlet. ”The song itself is not anything special, but the people who have supported it are incredible and deserve to be heard.”
Oliver Anthony’s original performance clip of “Rich Men North Of Richmond” has amassed over 63 million views on YouTube to date.
