BE >> Ainsley: SINGER AND SONGWRITER OLIVER ANTHONY HAS GONE VIRTUALLY UNKNOWN TO HOUSEHOLD NAMES, TO A HOUSEHOLD NAME AFTER SURPRISE CHART TOPPER RICH MEN NORTH OF RICHMOND DETAILING THE STRUGGLES OF WORKING CLASS AMERICA. >> Brian: FOX CORRESPONDENT GRIFF JENKINS CAUGHT UP WITH HIM EXCLUSIVELY OVER THE WEEKEND AT A CONCERT IN NORTH CAROLINA. GRIFF, TELL US WHAT YOU FOUND. >> Griff: GOOD MORNING, GUYS, I FOUND AN ARTIST UNLIKE ANY ALIVE TODAY. HE IS THE REAL DEAL. HE OPENED HIS SHOW READING SCRIPTURE BEFORE HE PLAYED SONGS. AND THIS MESSAGE, WELL, IS HE GIVING HOPE TO THOSE STRUGGLING JUST TO GET BY. TAKE A LOOK. >> DRIVE BACK HOME AND DROWN MY TROUBLES AWAY IT'S A DAMN SHAME WHAT WE HAVE GOTTEN TO. WITH ME LIKE ME AND PEOPLE LIKE YOU ♪ JUST WAKE UP AND GOD BE TRUE BUT IT IS ♪ AWE, IT IS ♪ LIVING IN THE NEW WORLD ♪ JUST AN OLD SOUL ♪ RICH MEN NORTH OF RICHMOND ♪ LORD KNOWS THEY JUST ALL WANNA HAVE TOTAL CONTROL ♪ WANNA KNOW WHAT YOU THINK ♪ KNOW WHAT YOU DO ♪ AND THEY DON'T THINK YOU DO ♪ BUT I KNOW THAT YOU DO ♪ BECAUSE YOUR DOLLAR AIN'T WORTH [BLEEP] AND TAXED TO NO END ♪ BECAUSE THE RICH MEN, RICH MEN ♪ GRIFF GRIFF THERE DID YOU GO OLE VETERAN ANTHONY RICH MEN NORTH OF RICHMOND. THIS IS THE CROWD. LOOK AT THESE PEOPLE RIGHT HERE. [CHEERS] >> Griff: DID THAT SONG SPEAK TO YOU. >> SPEAKS TO ME ALL THE WAY THROUGH. ♪ IT'S TIME FOR THEM TO HEAR US. >> Griff: CAN YOU HEAR THE CROWD YELLING. [CHANTING U.S.A.] >> Griff: THERE ARE LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF FANS HERE BECAUSE OLIVER ANTHONY WILL TAKE TO EVERY ONE OF THEM. HE TAKES TIME TO HEAR HIS FRIENDS. WHAT'S YOUR NAME? >> NOLAN. >> Griff: WHAT DO YOU HAVE HERE. >> A HAT AND. >> I'M GOING TO GET HIM TO SIGN THEM. >> Griff: OLIVER ANTHONY MAKES A POINT TO STAY FOR AS LONG AS IT TAKES 2, 3, 4 HOURS TO MEET AND GREET EVERY ONE OF HIS FANS, MAKE A CONNECTION. HEAR THEIR STORIES AND TO HEAR WHY HIS SONGS CONNECT WITH THEM. >> Griff: WHY DID YOU WRITE THE SONG? WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO WRITE THAT SONG? >> I DON'T KNOW. MAYBE THAT SONG IS AN EVOLUTION OF A LOT OF MY OTHER SONGS. IF YOU LISTEN TO DOGGONE IT AND FEELING PRETTY GOOD AND REALLY ALL OF THEM THEY JUST TALK ABOUT COMMON STRUGGLES THAT I FEEL EVERYBODY DEALS WITH IT'S REALLY JUST HOW I FELT. I GUESS OTHER PEOPLE INHERENTLY FEEL THAT WAY. NOW NOW THAT I'M LEARNING I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT FELT THAT WAY. I REALLY JUST WROTE THE SONG FOR ME AND THEN DRAV'N FROM INTERESTED IN DOING SOME STUFF. AT THE TIME I ONLY HAD THE FIRST HA HALF OF RICH MEN VS. RICHMOND. POSTED ONLINE. WE THREW THE SECOND HALF TOGETHER THE DAY BEFORE FILMING AND REALLY JUST THOUGHT I DIDN'T THINK ANYBODY WOULD EVEN SEE IT ♪ BECAUSE THE RICH MEN, THE RICH MEN. >> I KNEW FROM THE MINUTE I HEARD OLIVER HE WAS SPECIAL. GOD WAS SPEAK THROUGH HIM. ME AND OLIVER SPENT A WEEKEND TOGETHER. WE PRAYED BEFORE THE SESSION. AND WE KNEW IT WAS GOING TO BE SOMETHING SPECIAL. NOW I KNEW IT WAS GOING TO BE GREAT SONG AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, SKYROCKETING, NO, I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN A DAY LATER. >> Griff: ARE YOU SURPRISED THAT THE PUBLIC HAS REACTED THE WAY THEY DID? DO YOU REALIZE THE CROWD IS TOUCHED BY YOUR MUSIC? >> YEAH. WELL, IT RESONATES THE SUFFERING IN THE WORLD RIGHT NOW. LIKE EVEN IN OUR OWN COUNTRY WE HAVE HAD YEARS OF PEOPLE FEELING GREED AND HOPELESS AND EVERY TIME YOU LOOK AT THE TV OR GET ONLINE, EVERYTHING IS NEGATIVE. AND SO I THINK PEOPLE ARE JUST DESPERATE FOR SOMETHING POSITIVE AGAIN, YOU KNOW, LIKE THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF PEOPLE DIE FOR US TO STAND ON THIS DIRT AND DO WHAT IT IS WE DO EVERY DAY. WE SHOULD BE EXCITED FOR IT. >> Griff: WHAT DO YOU HOPE COMES OF THE CONGRESS AND YOUR MUSIC. I KNOW YOU TURNED $8 MILLION DOWN. DID YOU A GREAT STATEMENT. YOU SAID YOU DON'T WANT JETS, YOU DON'T WANT TOUR BUSES. WHAT DO YOU WANT? >> JUST PEOPLE TO START APPRECIATING EACH OTHER FOR HUMAN BEINGS AND LOOK BEYOND POLITICAL DIFFERENCES AND IDEOLOGIES AND A LOT OF THINGS I SEE CORPORATE MEDIA AND EDUCATION DOING, WHICH IS MAKING EVERYONE IDENTIFY EACH OTHER DIFFERENCES AND NOT THEIR SIMILARITIES. I WANT FEEL APPRECIATE EACH OTHER AND APPRECIATE EACH OTHER'S STRUGGLES AND HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY JUST FIND THE ENERGY THAT WAS IN THIS SONG AND MANIFEST IT IN PEOPLE'S OWN PERSONAL LIVES. JUST TRYING TO FIND SIMILARITIES WITH EACH OTHER INSTEAD OF DIVISION. THAT'S REALLY ALL I WANT. I MEAN, I DON'T SEE OUR COUNTRY LASTING ANOTHER GENERATION THE WAY WE ARE HEADED. WE GOT TO GO BACK TO THE ROOTS OF MADE THIS COUNTRY GREAT IN THE FIRST PLACE, WHICH WAS OUR SENSE OF COMMUNITY AND WE ARE THE MELTING POT OF THE WORLD. AND THAT'S WHAT MAKES US STRONG IS OUR DIVERSITY. WE NEED TO HARNESS THAT AND APPRECIATE IT. AND NOT USE IT AS A POLITICAL TOOL TO KEEP EVERYONE SEPARATE FROM EACH OTHER, YOU KNOW? >> Griff: DO YOU FEEL A LITTLE BIT LIKE THE CREDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL SONGS OF THE PAST THAT REALLY HAD A REASON NATION WORKING CLASS? >> HOPEFULLY IT REPRESENTS MORE THAN JUST THE WORKING CLASS. I REALLY THINK IT JUST REPRESENTS PEOPLE DEAL WITH DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAS TOUCHED PEOPLE GLOBALLY. THERE'S A REASON FOR THAT IT'S NOT JUST FOR ONE IDENTITY OR ONE GROUP OF PEOPLE. IT'S A SONG FOR HUMAN BEINGS IN GENERAL. >> COOL. >> Griff: COOL? YOU ARE COOL. >> THANKS. YOU ARE COOL, TOO. >> Griff: GUY, ASKED HIM IF IS HE A DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN. HE WILL TELL YOU NEITHER. YOU SAW IN THAT PACKAGE, BRIAN, YOU WILL LIKE THIS. HE TAKES HIS THREE DOGS WITH HIM TO EVERY SHOW HE PLAYS. >> Brian: ABSOLUTELY. I ENVY HIM. >> Steve: GRIFF, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR GOING TO NORTH CAROLINA TO GET THAT REPORT. AWESOME. >> Brian: THERE WAS NO GUARANTEED INTERVIEW. HE MADE IT HAPPEN. >> Ainsley: BUMPER STICKERS OLIVER ANTHONY FOR 2024. GOOD GET. WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET HIM ON THE SHOW. THANK YOU FOR GETTING THAT INTERVIEW. >> Griff: I ASKED HIM TO PLAY LIFE ON "FOX & FRIENDS." HE SAID HE WOULD CHECK HIS 202
