Metro Voice News Celebrating Faith, Family & Community
The singer who captured America’s attention with “Rich Men North of Richmond” is answering a different calling. Oliver Anthony, whose protest song became an overnight sensation, recently announced his transition from music industry success to grassroots ministry work.
“I have this vision for this thing that I’m calling the Rural Revival Project, and it’s basically going to start as a grassroots music festival, but hopefully, it grows into something that can literally change our landscape and our culture and the way we live,” he said, as reported by The Epoch Times.
He teased the decision in October, stating, “I’ve decided that moving forward, I don’t need a Nashville management company. I don’t even need to exist within the space of music. So, I’m looking at switching my whole business over to a traveling ministry.”
The Rural Revival Project, Anthony’s nonprofit initiative, aims to revitalize communities often overlooked by mainstream entertainment. Unlike many musicians who focus on metropolitan venues, Anthony plans to bring music to “towns that haven’t had music in them in a long time,” hoping to stimulate local economies.
According to Billboard, the initiative has already begun making an impact, helping communities recover from natural disasters. The project will also provide mental health resources, including support for those dealing with PTSD – a cause close to Anthony’s heart given his own struggles with mental health.
By focusing on farm-oriented communities, Anthony aims to reconnect people with nature, which he believes is essential for both spiritual and individual well-being. This vision follows in the footsteps of his great-grandfather, who served as a traveling minister.
Spending 2024 in the music industry “has opened my eyes to how much control and how much visibility there is on the top down,” he has said. “Like, the analytics that I can pull on just my fan base is terrifying. It’s information that I feel the FBI shouldn’t even have, much less me.”
Anthony says he’s not done with music.
“This voice from God … keeps putting this vision in my head of a way to make a real impact in this world, to make a real change,” Anthony explained. The singer-songwriter has emphasized that while he’s shifting his focus to traveling ministry work, he’ll continue making music as part of his mission.
Just as his great-grandfather’s ministry work left such a lasting impact on Anthony, he said of his own musical and charitable efforts that he wants “to help light a fire that no one can extinguish in my lifetime or after.”
–Alan Goforth | Metro Voice
