Oliver Anthony & Rock Acts Papa Roach And Shinedown Pay Tribute To Lynyrd Skynyrd

Viral country music sensation Oliver Anthony, Last Resort nu-metallers Papa Roach and rockers Shinedown joined forces for a near-campfire singalong rendition of the Lynyrd Skynyrd classic track, Simple Man, at Blue Ridge Rock Festival after the event was unceremoniously cancelled due to severe weather.

The last two days of the festival were cancelled – Blue Ridge was scheduled to run from Thursday, 7 September, until Sunday, 10 September – and to make it up to the fans who had already fought through a deluge of rain, strong winds and storms, the unlikely trio put on an impromptu acoustic concert that included the highlight of Simple Man.

Papa Roach issued a thank-you to fans on Twitter, applauding those who were “sticking around with us despite the rain and @BlueRidgeRock getting canceled!” The rock band then credited Shinedown vocalist Brent Smith for “pulling this idea together last minute for the fans”.

The singalong, led by Smith, got the remaining crowd involved and even saw some dogs climbing on the makeshift stage, making for a heartwarming performance after a depressing weekend. You can watch the trio performing Simple Man below.

Oliver Anthony’s viral breakthrough hit, Rich Men North Of Richmond, gained over 28 million views in 12 days on YouTube and continues to grow in popularity. Within days, the song leapt to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and has seen Anthony become a redheaded, gruff, blue-collar icon for the people.

A few months ago, Papa Roach vocalist Jacoby Shaddix joined Evanescence at Germany’s Rock Am Ring festival, giving nu-metal fans the thrill of a lifetime by taking on the iconic rap verse in Bring Me To Life.

With both acts slated to perform at Germany’s Rock Am Ring on Saturday, 3 June, it worked out perfectly to have Shaddix reprise Paul McCoy of 12 Stones’ rap verse. His performance ruled – his tone was close to McCoy’s, and the chemistry between Shaddix and Lee on that stage was evident. You can check out the footage here.

In April, Papa Roach teamed up with The Used for the epic Cut My Heart Into Pieces co-headline Australian tour. You can check out The Music’s photo gallery from the Sydney show here.