"Fake Southerner" - Oliver Anthony accent controversy emerges in wake of viral success 

Oliver Anthony, the new-coming country singer who rose to fame with the song Rich Men North of Richmond earlier this month, recently came under scrutiny for his accent following an interview with Fox News.

Born Christopher Anthony Lunsford, Oliver Anthony claimed on Facebook while sharing his experience in the aftermath of his massive success that he was a Southerner born in Farmville, Virginia, and later grew up in North Carolina, where he is also currently based.

He also stated that his stage name was not only a tribute to his grandfather (the original Oliver Anthony) but also to the "Appalachia where he was born and raised."

However, following his Fox News interview, where he called the blue-collar workers "the melting pot of the world," people have been accusing him of lying about his native place, with some even calling him a "fake Southerner" as his accent did not match the accent Southerners usually speak. In this regard, one X (formerly Twitter) even commented under @isabellarileyus’ post on the same saying:

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“Where did Oliver Anthony’s accent go?” - Rich Men North of Richmond singer’s accent triggers online backlash

In the recent Fox News interview with Griff Jenkins, Oliver Anthony did not use a typical Southerner accent. In fact, it was quite the opposite. He was heard saying in the interview that working-class people are "the melting pot of the world," which, according to him, makes them strong in their diversity. In a moment, he further added:

“We need to now learn to harness that and appreciate it and not use it as a political tool to keep everyone separate from each other.”

While his message impressed netizens, his newfound fans began turning against him when they realized that his accent was not that of a Southerner. Some even said that he had been faking his original accent for so long that it had been revealed suddenly.

Others stated that he only pretended to have a Southerner accent to make his song a hit. Here are some of the reactions from X (formerly Twitter) users.

However, there were a handful who also defended Oliver’s accent.

So far, Oliver Anthony has not commented on the backlash. Also, this is not the only controversy the country singer has been part of since his latest song took off.

Earlier this week, he was slammed on the internet for promoting antisemitic content on YouTube, which he titled Videos That Make Your Noggin Bigger. The series contains several conspiracy theories, including about the 9/11 terrorist attack. He was also called an industry plant by the conservatives.

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Oliver Anthony’s latest song was released on August 22, 2023

On August 9, Oliver Anthony became a household name across the USA when his song Rich Men North of Richmond became a huge success. The red-bearded man holding a guitar was seen singing a folk song, highlighting the plight of labor-class Americans and addressing themes such as taxation, trafficking, and welfare cheats, among others.

The music video was released by RadioWV on YouTube and became an overnight sensation, earning 10 million views within a week. At present, it has 35 million views and over 1.5 million likes. Since its release, the song has been charting at the top of music apps, including Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music, and the Billboard Hot 100.

The song became an instant hit among conservative circles, with people like Republican podcaster Joe Rogan and right-wing politician Marjorie Taylor Greene praising and sharing it on social media. The latter even called the song "an anthem of forgotten Americans."

As per his new wiki-bio, Oliver Anthony started his music career in 2021 as a cover artist and released a few songs, such as I’ve Got to Get Sober and Ain’t Gotta Dollar. However, it wasn’t until the release of Rich Men North of Richmond that the world knew his name.

He himself also stated on Facebook that he was a Virginia native who grew up and later settled in North Carolina, where he previously worked in sales at multiple construction plants and paper mills.

Additionally, Anthony released a new song on August 22, I Want To Go Home, which currently has over 3 million views and 341,000 likes. He posted it on his official YouTube page, Oliver Anthony Music. The song is about the frustrations of living in the current state of the world and praying to God about its concerns.