Anthony DeMarco was just trying to help out a neighbor.

But the next thing the printing and promo products pro knew, he was an important part of what’s probably the most viral sensation currently occurring in the world of music.

It’s no exaggeration: DeMarco’s Blackstone, VA-based Mountain Creek Signs & Graphics has been providing the official branded T-shirts, hats and bumper stickers for Oliver Anthony, a working class Virginia singer and songwriter who went from total obscurity to having the number-one song in the United States, virtually overnight.

Anthony DeMarco’s Mountain Creek Signs & Graphics creates official merchandise for Oliver Anthony, such as this T-shirt.

In recent weeks, Anthony shot to stardom after his song, “Rich Men North of Richmond,” caught wildfire and rose to the top of the Billboard Hot 100, beating out other Top Five tunes from established mega celebrities like Taylor Swift, Morgan Wallen, Luke Combs and Doja Cat, according to the most recent charts for the week of Sept. 2.

The song, which voices the frustrations and disenfranchisement of many in America’s working and middle classes, has been everywhere. Spotlighted on major news networks. Fawned over in a wide variety of podcasts. A topic at the first Republican presidential primary debate. Downloaded and sung after long days everywhere from northern Rust Belt cities to the backwoods of Mississippi.

With that popularity, there’s come strong demand for Oliver Anthony merch.

“It’s been incredible to see his progress,” says DeMarco. “I’m just trying to enjoy the ride and soak it in and help where I can.”

‘He Still Owes Me a Chicken Sandwich’

Indeed, a desire to help is how DeMarco started working with Anthony in the first place.

The two have been neighbors and pals for a handful of years. Looking to spread the word about his music back before he was famous, Anthony started a low-key business relationship with DeMarco, who began creating business cards and banners for the artist. DeMarco also assisted with word of mouth, talking Anthony up on social media and distributing the musician’s business cards in his shop.

Oliver Anthony sings his hit, “Rich Men North of Richmond.”

“When we got going, Chris joked, ‘If I go viral, I’ll buy you a chicken sandwich,’” DeMarco recalls with a laugh. (Oliver Anthony’s real name is Christopher Anthony Lunsford, and he typically goes by “Chris.”)

The comment about going viral, made at a time when such a phenomenon seemed like little more than a pipedream, turned out to be eerily prophetic.

As “Rich Men North of Richmond” was starting to get traction, Anthony told DeMarco, “You’re about to get busy.”

Boy was he ever correct.

Within hours, DeMarco says he was busily printing up shirts and bumper stickers for a show Anthony was performing the next day. Demand skyrocketed from there. Suddenly, people from all around the United States – and even internationally – wanted to show their love for Anthony by donning his merch.

To meet demand as best as possible, DeMarco helped get a web store established on OliverAnthonyMusic.com. While he does print items himself still and sell some merch from his shop too, he also subcontracts work to a larger printing shop that can handle bigger volumes. “It’s a company we’ve had a relationship with for years, and we knew they’d do a good job,” says DeMarco.

Anthony DeMarco (orange shirt) and Oliver Anthony share a laugh.

As a small business owner who shares Anthony’s grassroots, salt-of-the-earth values, DeMarco is also working to get the singer/songwriter’s merchandise into local independently owned stores, before placing it in other independent shops elsewhere. He sees it as a way of leveraging Anthony’s popularity to help lift other small businesses.

“Having his stuff in there will bring extra people into those shops,” says DeMarco. “And if even just a couple of those people buy something other than Oliver Anthony merchandise, it’s going to help that business.”

Given Anthony’s popularity, it’s perhaps not a surprise to hear that there’s a bunch of folks selling unofficial/unauthorized swag based on the singer. Certain online selling platforms, including Amazon and Etsy, have been filled with such items. If fans want to support Anthony, they should consider buying official merchandise from OliverAnthonyMusic.com, at venues where he is performing, and/or from authorized retailers.

“No matter what decision he makes, whether he stops doing music tomorrow or never stops, I’ll stand behind him and support him as I can,” says DeMarco. He pauses a moment and chuckles, then adds: “He still owes me a chicken sandwich, though.”

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