‘Rich Men North Of Richmond’ Singer Reveals How God Saved Him From Suicide

Earlier this month, the country music singer Oliver Anthony found himself becoming an overnight success thanks to his hit song “Rich Men North Of Richmond.” In a new interview with the legendary podcast host Joe Rogan, Anthony is opening about his strong Christian faith, even crediting God with saving him from committing suicide.

Anthony’s Path To God 

Christian Post reported that Anthony, 31, explained that while he grew up going to church regularly from an early age, he eventually became turned off by the “politics and theatrics” that he witnessed in religion in general.

As he got older, Anthony began to struggle with his mental health, ultimately coming to the tragic conclusion that suicide was “eventually going to be my only way out.” His anxiety and depression began to manifest itself in him physically, leading him to develop shooting pains in his jaw and throughout his body that were so painful that he thought he was “going to die.”

Then one day, Anthony had an encounter with God while driving his truck that was so powerful that it caused him to promise to change his ways.

“I just felt hopeless, like almost the way a child feels hopeless when you can’t find your parent or something,” he recalled. “Like a 4-year-old who can’t find his parents, I didn’t have anything left in me.”

“I don’t know, I just decided right then and there, I know I can’t do this anymore, but I know there are things I need to do. I just told God, let me do it and I’ll give all this s— up,” Anthony added. “I’ll give up the weed, and I’ll quit getting drunk, and I’ll quit being so angry about things … and I’ll start over again and make Him the focus and not me.”

Related: ‘Rich Men North Of Richmond’ Singer Oliver Anthony In No Rush To Sign Multi-Million Dollar Country Music Deal

Anthony’s Life Changes Thanks To God

Once Anthony started his relationship with God, he found that his entire life changed.

“I quit worrying about me, and I started worrying about what it is that I was supposed to do,” he said. “It talks in the Bible about being a servant … I gave up my desire and my will and whatever it is that I want to do. It’s about trying to use what I have as a tool.”

“We all sin, and we all do stupid things; we’re all just people,” he added. “Nobody’s special or righteous. People sometimes act like they’re special and righteous, but we’re all just the same thing …  we all serve some master whether we realize it or not, so why not let it be the Master that is above all.”

These days, Anthony enjoys reading the Bible for guidance in his spare time.

“I’m still in the infancy stages in a lot of this, but just trying to restructure on a granular level the neuropathways in my brain that have certain habits and thoughts,” he explained.

Related: ‘Rich Men North Of Richmond’ Singer Oliver Anthony Says Government Won’t ‘Save Us’

Anthony’s Favorite Biblical Scripture

Anthony went on to share the biblical scripture that changed his life: Proverbs 4:20-27.

“And I’ll be very brief with this, I promise, but ironically, it’s Proverbs 4:20, which I thought you would like … ‘My son, pay attention to what I say, turn your ear to my words. Do not let them out of your sight. Keep them within your heart, for they are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body,'” he said.

“‘Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Keep your mouth free from perversity, keep corrupt talk from your lips, let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you, give careful thoughts to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left, keep your foot from evil,'” Anthony continued.

“That’s pretty f—ing profound,” Rogan replied, with Anthony adding, “The whole book of Proverbs is like that.”

“It’s not preachy; it’s not what you think,” Anthony concluded. “It’s good guidance, it’s like good guidance that you would want a father to give to his son.”

With God on his side, the sky truly is the limit for Anthony. As he navigates his way through his newfound fame, we can only hope that Anthony continues to keep God at the center of his life!