It’s safe to say that Randy Travis is an Oliver Anthony fan. The country legend praised Anthony after his debut at the Ryman Auditorium. Anthony is playing a two-night showing at the historic venue, and Travis attended the event.
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Taking to Instagram, Travis shared an image of himself with Anthony taken backstage. He praised Anthony for sticking to his roots and being authentic. He wrote, “Lord, it’s good to know there’s still a few ole country boys around… Such a pleasure witnessing Oliver Anthony’s debut at the Mother Church, The Ryman last night.”
In response to the post, Anthony had nothing but praise for Travis. He revealed that he listened to Travis’s music growing up.
[See the Country Boy in Concert — Get Tickets for Oliver Anthony]
He wrote, “I’ve been listening to Randy longer than I’ve been walking. 😂 Randy was my grandmother’s and mother’s absolute favorite growing up, and his music was all we ever listened to. He is a true legend and I’m still a little shook up just knowing I got to shake his hand. Couldn’t have asked for a better Ryman debut show.”
To honor Travis, Anthony put on a rendition of Travis’s “Three Wooden Crosses” during the performance. Afterward, Travis took to the stage to congratulate Anthony in a moment that made fans cheer.
Oliver Anthony Reject Millions to Go Solo
Many continue to watch Anthony’s career with great interest. The artist went viral thanks to his emotionally charged “Rich Men North of Richmond.” The sudden fame shocked the singer who never imagined himself as a performer.
“I’m sitting in such a weird place in my life right now,” he wrote on social media (via CMT). “I never wanted to be a full-time musician, much less sit at the top of the iTunes charts. Draven from RadioWv and I filmed these tunes on my land with the hope that it may hit 300k views. I still don’t quite believe what has went on since we uploaded that. It’s just strange to me.”
Afterward, Anthony rejected several million-dollar deals. He seems to be going his own way with his music in a move that makes his career that much more interesting.
“I wrote the music I wrote because I was suffering with mental health and depression,” he wrote. “These songs have connected with millions of people on such a deep level because they’re being sung by someone feeling the words in the very moment they were being sung. No editing, no agent, no bulls—. Just some idiot and his guitar. The style of music that we should have never gotten away from in the first place.”
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[Photo via Randy Travis/Instagram]
