Story Behind Oliver Anthony's 'Goochland' T-Shirt

Oliver Anthony sure loves Goochland. The "Rich Men North of Richmond" singer has worn the same green T-shirt for two of his three public appearances, and now the market is flooded with replicas and spinoffs.

Even Walmart is in on the Goochland love!

We zoomed in on the logo from the shirt Anthony chose to wear to record the original version of "Rich Men ..." earlier this month. There's a white cow standing on top of the word "Goochland." Normally fans would pass over this detail, but nothing has been "normal" about the Farmville, Va., native's ascent to the top of the charts.

That was a clue.

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What Is Goochland?

Goochland is a city and a county 31 miles west of Richmond, Va., along I-64. There's no evidence Anthony ever lived or worked there, but it's about an hour from his Farmville homw, so maybe he kicked it there for awhile when he was younger.

Perennial MLB All-Star Justin Verlander graduated from Goochland High School in 2001, before attending Old Dominion University and being drafted by the Detroit Tigers in 2004. Another baseball player named John Hicks also comes from Goochland. It's believed that Thomas Jefferson once lived within the boundaries of the county.

Given the passion for "Rich Men ..." and Anthony, it's no surprise that supply and demand for Goochland T-shirts has soared. A Google search reveals dozens of copycats on sites like Etsy. Others have simply borrowed the town's name to create a unique design. For example, Walmart sells an "I Heart Goochland" tee for about $20.

The Best Oliver Anthony Songs — His Entire Catalog, Ranked

A chronological listen of Oliver Anthony's songs shows a longterm effort to massage the themes present in "Rich Men of North Richmond." Fans will also find he's capable of so much more than being a blue collar folk hero.

The best Oliver Anthony songs are dynamic and complete. They also hold true to the buoyant optimism he speaks of during candid conversations on his YouTube page. Hope isn't always present, however — tracks released in late summer 2022 find the Virginia-raised singer on a dark path, singing of heartbreak and suicide. You can hear and see (if there's video) the strains of life across his face.

Taste of Country ranked all 16 songs Anthony has released so far. Most are cell phone recordings, but we didn't hold a lack of production quality against him. Instead, each song is rated based on strength of message, originality and overall appeal. "Rich Men ..." ranks third, which is not a criticism of his debut hit as much as it is praise of two other mostly unheard-of songs.

11 Country Stars Who Don't Write Their Own Songs + 1 You'll Be Shocked to Learn Does

If you think a country singer needs to write their own songs to be a legitimate artist, take this short quiz:

Which of the following five hitmakers is also an established songwriter: Luke Bryan, Reba McEntire, Randy Travis, Blake Shelton, Alan Jackson?

Just two of those names make this list of 11 country stars who don't write their own songs, and one you'll be surprised to learn does. It's a list that includes four Country Music Hall of Fame inductees and at least two others sure to get in soon. The takeaway is that great singers are great storytellers, especially when they're telling someone else's story.

Filed Under: Oliver Anthony