Country sensation Oliver Anthony made the decision to cancel an upcoming performance in Knoxville, Tennessee, after the bar he was slated to perform at hiked up ticket prices.
Anthony gained notoriety last month after his politically-charged song “Rich Men North of Richmond” went viral.
“I apologize for the price at Cotton Eyed Joe,” the musician wrote to his official Facebook page on Tuesday. “Have a friend of mine trying to help me book gigs. I told him I don’t want to do anything that’s more than $40 a ticket, ideally no more than $25 a piece.”
OLIVER ANTHONY SAYS HE’S TURNED DOWN $8 MILLION OFFERS SINCE GOING VIRAL: ‘NOTHING SPECIAL ABOUT ME’
Christopher Anthony Lunsford, who is known professionally as Oliver Anthony, gained notoriety after his song “Rich Men North of Richmond” went viral in August. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
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“These are supposed to be affordable shows. Please don’t pay $90 for a ticket. I’m going to work out the details with him and if we have to reschedule this event somewhere else we will,” the singer wrote.
“It’s also horses— that they’re charging extra for VIP meet and greet. Those are supposed to be free. I will get this sorted out asap. [Don’t] buy any tickets until then,” he added in the comments section.
The following day, the Virginia native provided his social media followers with an update, addressing claims previously made (and then seemingly deleted) by the establishment that Anthony was charging $120,000 to perform at the bar, which was reflected in ticket prices.
“Cotton Eyed Joe claims we are charging people $120,000 per show. They have since turned the comments off, but I wanted to clarify. The most I’ve ever made on a show is $35,000. We’ve done two shows in NC that were completely free, and have another free show scheduled September 23rd in Kentucky for a cancer benefit,” Anthony explained.
Oliver Anthony is pictured speaking to fans after a surprise performance in Virginia. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
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“My booking guy handled all of this on the phone with them. And I realize there are two sides to every story. But I personally talked with Cotton Eyed Joe on the phone about not charging extra for meet and greet. That’s why I was so upset seeing them charging $200 for it. I felt like they suckered us into playing there just so they could make extra money off of y’all,” he added.
However, the musician said he harbors no grudge writing of the bar, “I wish them the best.”
“All the fault ultimately is with me. I should have been more thoroughly involved in the booking, and I should probably consider using a professional consultant in this area. There’s no reason why tickets should have went up for sale before a contract was signed,” he explained.
Oliver Anthony already has a new concert date set in Knoxville the same week his original performance at Cotton Eyed Joe show was scheduled to happen. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
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“The good news is we have already found multiple other options for $25 admission venues in Knoxville that can accommodate more people, the same week this show was scheduled for. We will still be having a good time in Knoxville soon.”
Later, Anthony shared he had booked a performance at the Knoxville Convention Center on Sept. 29, two days after his original performance.
A representative for Anthony did not immediately return Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
