Oliver Anthony performed a live concert for a group of miners in an active coal mine to pay his respects. There, he covered Blake Shelton's "Ole Red" and performed other "new original songs."
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On New Year's Day, Oliver Anthony uploaded to YouTube a video of him performing "Ole Red" in a coal mine in Laeger, West Virginia. Considering Anthony wanted to pay his respects, it's likely the concert was free.
The details of the event, such as how long it was and which songs were played are unknown. But the concert was for the miners, not us, so we only got a glimpse of it. Anthony and his band wore hard hats, which looks cool, but was also a genuine safety matter.
Billy Contreras also joined Oliver Anthony, an accomplished fiddle player.
"Ole Red" May Sound Like A Strange Cover Choice For Oliver Anthony
Some may be surprised to see Oliver Anthony cover Blake Shelton, a more mainstream artist, after slamming the industry and indirectly outing artists. However, the 2001 hit "Ole Red" is in line with the sort of country music that Anthony appreciates, and the single paired perfectly with his voice.
The singer did provide more context about the song choice, however, saying that the song was originally written by "James "Bo" Bohan, Don Goodman, and Mark Sherrill."
"Don Goodman is one of my favorites, and Billy Contreras on the fiddle used to tour with George Jones. I felt like this would be a perfect cover to do while we were down in the mine for the Dick Clarke New Year's Eve session," he wrote.
His cover does the song more than justice; it's a staggering cover.
Despite Anthony's distaste for the modern country scene, he's said that he'll keep making music. He'll just be doing it in a way that feels right to him. One that doesn't buy in to the industry he dislikes so much.
Sticking to such morals, he decided to perform for a group of hard workers at their place of work at (presumably) no expense to them. Although unorthodox, this shouldn't really be surprising.
His fans have loved this earnest and grounded act, and enjoyed his cover of "Ole Red."
"This man has so much soul and power in his voice it's unbelievable! It's like he's singing from the broken souls that want too but can't," praises one.
