The Oak Ridge Boys

American country and gospel vocal quartet

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The Oak Ridge Boys

The Oak Ridge Boys in 2024
(From left: Ben James, Duane Allen, William Lee Golden, and Richard Sterban)

Background information
Also known as| Wally Fowler and the Georgia Clodhoppers (1943-1947), The Oak Ridge Quartet (1947-1961)
Origin| Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.
Genres| Country, pop, doo wop, Southern gospel, contemporary gospel, soft rock
Years active| 1943–present
Members|

* Duane Allen
* Richard Sterban
* William Lee Golden
* Ben James

Past members|

* Curly Kinsey
* Lon Freeman
* Wally Fowler
* Johnny New
* Monroe (Curley) Blaylock
* Bob Weber
* Pat Patterson
* Joe Allred
* Bob Prather
* Carlos Cook
* Calvin Newton
* Cat Freeman
* Les Roberson
* Ron Page
* Bill Smith
* Ronnie Page
* Smitty Gatlin
* Hobert Evans
* Bobby Clark
* Tommy Fairchild
* Herman Harper
* James Metz
* Willie Wynn
* Gary McSpadden
* Jim Hamill
* Noel Fox
* Joe Bonsall
* Steve Sanders

Website| www.oakridgeboys.com

The Oak Ridge Boys are an American vocal quartet. The classic and most well-known lineup of the group, which performed together for over 40 years, consisted of William Lee Golden (baritone), Duane Allen (lead), Richard Sterban (bass), and Joe Bonsall (tenor).

Bonsall sang with the group until mid-December of 2023. On December 30th of that year, Ben James debuted as the Oak Ridge Boys' tenor at a show in Biloxi, completing the group in its present form.[1]

The act was founded in 1943 as the country and gospel act Wally Fowler and the Georgia Clodhoppers, but were soon known as The Oak Ridge Quartet. They became popular in Southern gospel in the 1950s and their name was changed to Oak Ridge Boys in the 1960s. They transitioned from traditional southern gospel to contemporary gospel before going into popular music in the mid-1970s.[2][3]

The lineup that produced their most well-known hits ― such as "Elvira", "Bobbie Sue", and "American Made" ― was made up of Allen, Bonsall, Golden, and Sterban. Golden and Allen joined in the mid-1960s, and Sterban and Bonsall in the early 1970s. After years of acrimony, Golden was dismissed in 1987 and Steve Sanders took over until quitting the act in 1995; Golden was rehired at the end of that year.

## History

[edit]

### The Oak Ridge Quartet

[edit]

The core group that eventually led to the Oak Ridge Boys was a country group called Wally Fowler and the Georgia Clodhoppers, formed in 1943 in Knoxville, Tennessee. They were requested to perform for staff members and their families restricted during World War II at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in nearby Oak Ridge, Tennessee. They were asked to sing there so often that eventually they changed their name to the Oak Ridge Quartet, and because their most popular songs were gospel, Fowler decided to focus solely on Southern gospel music. At the time, the quartet was made up of Wally Fowler, Lon "Deacon" Freeman, Curly Kinsey, and Johnny New. This group began recording in 1947.[4] Wally Fowler and the Oak Ridge Quartet were members of the Grand Ole Opry in the 1940s.[5] In 1949, the other three men split from Fowler to form a new group, Curley Kinsey and the Tennessee Ridge Runners, so Fowler hired an existing group, the Calvary Quartet, to reform the Oak Ridge Quartet. Walt Cornell sang baritone for the Oak Ridge Quartet in the early 1950s. In 1957, Fowler sold the rights to the "Oak Ridge Quartet" name to group member Smitty Gatlin in exchange for forgiveness of a debt. As a result of more personnel changes, the group lost its tenor, so they lowered their arrangements and had Gatlin sing tenor, while the pianist, Tommy Fairchild, sang lead. They recorded an album for Cadence Records, then in 1958, they hired Willie Wynn to sing the tenor part, and Fairchild moved back exclusively to the piano. At this point, the group consisted of Fairchild, Wynn, Gatlin, baritone Ron Page, and bass Herman Harper. They recorded an album on the Checker Records label, one on Starday, and three on Skylite. In 1961, Gatlin changed the group's name to "the Oak Ridge Boys" because their producer, Bud Praeger, thought "Oak Ridge Quartet" was too old-fashioned.

### 1962–1973

[edit]

When Page left in 1962, Gary McSpadden, who had filled in for Jake Hess in the Statesmen Quartet, took over as baritone with the understanding that when Hess was ready to start a group, he would recruit McSpadden. They recorded another album on Skylite, and then two albums on Warner Bros. Records. When Hess followed through, McSpadden quit to join the Imperials. Jim Hamill[6] (who later became a mainstay in the Kingsmen Quartet) was hired as his replacement. They made one album for Festival Records, one for Stateswood (Skylite's budget label), and two for Skylite. Hamill did not get along with the other Oaks, and William Lee Golden, a relative newcomer to the music industry, felt Hamill was hurting the act and suggested himself as a replacement. After Hamill's exit in 1964, Golden joined as baritone.

The group recorded an album for Starday and another on Skylite before Gatlin left in 1966. On Golden's recommendation, Duane Allen, former baritone of the Prophets, was hired as their new lead singer. With Willie Wynn and Herman Harper still on board, the group made another album for Skylite and one for United Artists before making a dozen albums between 1966 and 1973 for Heart Warming. They also had an album on Vista (Heart Warming's budget label) consisting of unreleased songs from previous sessions. When Harper departed in 1968 to join the Don Light Talent Agency (before starting his own company, the Harper Agency), Noel Fox, formerly of the Tennesseans and the Harvesters, took over the bass part. In 1971, the Oak Ridge Boys earned their first Grammy Award for a Jerry Reed song, "Talk About the Good Times"; Reed played guitar on the track.

Late in 1972, Richard Sterban, a member of the Stamps Quartet, joined the Oak Ridge Boys after the exit of Noel Fox. As a result, the quartet appearing on Hee Haw in 1972 consisted of Allen, Wynn, Golden, and Sterban, and they took part in a single with Johnny Cash and the Carter Family, "Praise the Lord and Pass the Soup", that put the Oak Ridge Boys on the country charts for the first time. After completing their first Columbia album, Wynn departed and was succeeded by Joe Bonsall in October of that year. (Bonsall replaced Wynn's vocals on half of the album.) The lineup remained constant for the next 14 years.

### 1974–1986

[edit]

In 1975, the Oak Ridge Boys, after a brief flirtation with pop music, signed with country music promoter Jim Halsey, who as their new manager, encouraged them not only to leave gospel music behind by becoming a country act—the most fundamental change in their history—but also to present themselves as a singing quartet rather than as an eight-man band.[2][3][7][8]

The group's move to Columbia resulted in three albums and several singles. In 1976, they toured Russia with Roy Clark. They were not a label priority, and their musical direction (pop, gospel, country) was unclear. While promoting the single "Heaven Bound", the Oak Ridge Boys made appearances on The Mike Douglas Show and The Merv Griffin Show. In an attempt to widen their appeal, they backed up Jimmy Buffett on "My Head Hurts, My Feet Stink, and I Don't Love Jesus". Despite being tapped by Paul Simon to sing backup on "Slip Slidin' Away", the group asked to be released from their contract after "Family Reunion", written by David Allan Coe, was not a hit. Columbia complied, and the band immediately made an album that was a mix of gospel, pop, and country on their own label, for sale at their concerts.

In 1977, the Oak Ridge Boys hit it big in country with the release of their first ABC Records album, Y'all Come Back Saloon. The cover photo was the last to depict them as an eight-man group, although the band did not play on the album as on prior releases. Their follow-up, Room Service, in 1978, broadened their reach into pop music, but yielded three more country hits, including their first number-one song, "I'll Be True to You", which was carried over from the previous album. The Oak Ridge Boys Have Arrived provided three more hits in 1979. After MCA Records bought out ABC, Together was released in 1980, followed by a compilation in the autumn, Greatest Hits, featuring ten hits from the previous four albums.

The group's seventh album, Fancy Free, released early in 1981, contained the Dallas Frazier song "Elvira". This remains their most widely known record, and Fancy Free their best-selling album. "Elvira" had been recorded by other artists, including Frazier himself in the late 1960s and Kenny Rogers and the First Edition in 1970, but the Oak Ridge Boys were the first to make it a major hit. Their version hit number-one on the country chart and number five on the pop chart. In 1984, the Oak Ridge Boys became the first country act ever to be honored with the RIAA’s multi-platinum award, recognizing double-platinum sales for their album Fancy Free.[9]

The doo-wop-style title track from Bobbie Sue, their eighth album, was another crossover hit, reaching number one on the country chart and number 12 on the pop chart. That album also spawned the group's first U.S.-released music video, for their minor hit "So Fine". (A video was made for "Easy", from the Y'all Come Back Saloon album, but was never released in the U.S.) The group also recorded one of their biggest sellers, The Oak Ridge Boys Christmas album, featuring their smash hit "Thank God for Kids" in 1982. An all-pop outing, their ninth album, American Made, released in January of 1983, and the hits continued. The title track was used as a TV advertisement for Miller Beer, although the Oaks did not sing in the advertisement.

Their new MCA contract was among the biggest of its era in the music industry, with three new albums over the next four years. The late-1983 Deliver provided two hit singles, one of which was their last major hit. "I Guess It Never Hurts to Hurt Sometimes", was written by Randy VanWarmer, best known for his soft rock classic "Just When I Needed You Most". They paused for a compilation, Greatest Hits 2, in 1984. Unlike their first, Volume Two included two new songs, "Everyday" and "Make My Life With You", both of which became number-one hits.

In 1985, they released their 11th album, Step on Out, the title cut of which was written by ex-Byrd Chris Hillman. Although it was a hit, Step On Out was their first ABC/MCA album to indicate declining sales, despite the success of the lead single, "Little Things". After "Little Things," only a few of their hit songs in the coming years matched the quality of their earlier work; the others, regardless of chart position, made little to no impact. In 1986, the group put out one more top-10 album, Seasons, which brought with it two minor hit singles (one of them written by Kix Brooks, and the more successful of the two by Orleans members Larry Hoppen and John Hall), as well as a second holiday album, which did not match the popularity of their first.

### 1987–1999

[edit]

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After several years of conflict within the group generally, exacerbated by Golden's solo album in 1986 (which coincided with Bonsall taking part in a hit single by Sawyer Brown), Allen, Sterban, and Bonsall chose to stay together, but went forward without their senior member. Shortly after releasing their first album with label boss Jimmy Bowen as producer, Golden was out of the act. Where the Fast Lane Ends included guest appearances by Patti LaBelle and Joe Walsh, both of whom were brought into the project by Golden. He was replaced by the band's guitarist, Steve Sanders, who was the featured vocalist on most of their later hits.[10]

The Oaks released three more albums at MCA and another greatest-hits album. In hopes of elevating their career, they moved to RCA Nashville for their next two albums, plus a compilation, Best of the Oak Ridge Boys, which included their minor hit cover of "(You're My) Soul and Inspiration" from the My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys soundtrack. As was the norm for older acts in the early 1990s, the Oaks fell out of favor with country radio, and the hits stopped by the end of 1991. They switched labels again and signed with Liberty Records, later Capitol Nashville, for which they made their third Christmas album, their final project with Sanders.[11]

When Sanders quit the group late in 1995, he was replaced for the rest of the tour first by Dee Allen, and later by Paul Martin (Duane Allen's son, and son-in-law, respectively). Martin had also replaced J.P. Pennington as lead singer of Exile a few years earlier. At midnight on New Year's Day 1996, Golden returned to the stage. After being dropped by Capitol, they made a two-disc set, Revival (their first gospel album since 1976) with Leon Russell producing, for TV and mail-order distribution, in 1997. Sanders took his own life in 1998.[12]

Over the next few years, the group toured, hosted their own Las Vegas variety series for TNN, collaborated on an album with polka instrumentalist Jimmy Sturr, and made a one-off album for Platinum Records titled Voices.[13]

### 2000–2020

[edit]

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After almost a decade of dealing with labels that had little interest in promoting the Oak Ridge Boys and sluggish (or worse) sales, they were inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2000, and their fortunes further improved when they signed with Spring Hill Records that same year. Over the next six years with producer Michael Sykes, they were nominated for four Grammy awards. The quartet released two gospel albums, two Christmas albums, and two country albums. In 2006, the group completed Front Row Seats, an unsuccessful attempt to marry a message album to mainstream country with modern, aggressive arrangements and song selection, including the single "It's Hard to Be Cool in a Mini-Van".

In 2007, they returned to their namesake, Oak Ridge, Tennessee. They were the featured performers at the Secret City Festival and received a tour of the Y-12 National Security Complex's historic Calutrons. While there, a street was renamed Oak Ridge Boys Way in their honor. They appeared on Shooter Jennings' album The Wolf, which led to their own album, The Boys Are Back, in 2009. Named for the title song written by Jennings, the album debuted at number 16 on the Billboard Country chart and number 77 on the Top 200. The album was produced by Dave Cobb, who came to the project through Jennings. Reviews were mixed, but most praised their cover of The White Stripes song "Seven Nation Army".

In 2011, they became members of the Grand Ole Opry, [14][15][16][17] making them the only group to be inducted twice, albeit in two different incarnations (the Fowler group was inducted in 1945).[18] 2011 also brought It's Only Natural, which debuted at number 16 on the Billboard Country albums chart, remaining in the country top 40 for almost two months. It contained five new songs, six re-recordings of the Sanders hits from the 1980s, a new version of Golden's 1990 solo single, "Louisiana Red Dirt Highway", and a 30th-anniversary updating of "Elvira".

In 2015, they were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame by Kenny Rogers, with whom the Oaks often toured during their peak years.[19][20][21] (Though featured on most of their later hits, Sanders was not inducted.) That same year, they revisited "Elvira" in a collaboration with Home Free. The resulting video was an instant hit, reaching 90,000 views within 24 hours.[22]

In 2017, the Oak Ridge Boys joined Third Day at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, to record a cover of Paul Simon's "Loves Me Like a Rock" for the Third Day album, Revival. This was the second time for the Oaks to record the song, having first covered it on their Columbia debut in 1974. In 2018, they sang "Amazing Grace" at the funeral of the 41st President of the United States, George H. W. Bush, as he had requested.[23]

### 2021–present: 50th anniversary tour, James succeeds Bonsall

[edit]

On September 19, 2023, due to the rapid decline of Joe Bonsall's health, the Oak Ridge Boys hurriedly announced that all remaining dates on the tour marking their golden anniversary under the then-current lineup would be billed as a farewell tour.[24] Bonsall was dying of what was subsequently revealed to be amyotropic lateral sclerosis, to which he succumbed on July 9, 2024, aged 76.[25] His last appearance was on December 17th, 2023, at a concert in DeKalb, Illinois. Although Bonsall did not publicly announce his retirement until January, he was replaced by Ben James, previously of Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, before the year was out.[26] It was initially expected that Bonsall would be included in some way on the group's next album;[27] ultimately he took no part in the project.

In October 2024, the group released their 24th album, Mama's Boys, dedicated to Bonsall and featuring a guest appearance from Willie Nelson.[28] The addition of James to the lineup led the group to cancel its retirement plans and continue performing.[29]

In the spring of 2025, the Oak Ridge Boys announced on Facebook that, due to ongoing health issues, Richard Sterban has been replaced on tour by Aaron McCune until further notice. This is not the first time McCune has filled in but marks a more sustained presence and potentially formalizes his role going forward.[30]

## Discography

[edit]

Main article: The Oak Ridge Boys discography

## Personnel

[edit]

### Current members

[edit]

* William Lee Golden – baritone (1965–87, 1996-present)
* Duane Allen – lead, occasional rhythm guitar (1966–present)
* Richard Sterban – bass (1972–present)
* Ben James – tenor (2023–present)
* Aaron McCune - bass (2022-24 occasional fill-in, 2025 touring substitute)

### Former members

[edit]

* Curly Kinsey – bass (1945–47)
* Lon "Deacon" Freeman – baritone, guitar (1945–49)
* Wally Fowler – lead (1945–52)
* Johnny New – tenor (1945–49, 1952)
* Monroe (Curley) Blaylock – bass (1947–49)
* Bob Weber – bass (1949–56)
* Pat Patterson – baritone (1949–52), lead (1952–53)
* Joe Allred – tenor (1949–52)
* Bob Prather – baritone (1952)
* Carlos Cook – lead (1952–53); baritone (1953-54)
* Calvin Newton – lead (1953–56)
* Cat Freeman – tenor (1954–56)
* Les Roberson – baritone (1955–56)
* Ron Page – bass (1956)
* Bill Smith – bass (1957)
* Ronnie Page – baritone (1957–62)
* Smitty Gatlin – lead (1957–58, 1959–66); tenor (1958–59)
* Hobert Evans – tenor (1957–58)
* Wallace Edwards – tenor fill-in (1958)
* Bobby Clark – tenor (1958)
* Tommy Fairchild – lead (1958–59); piano (1959–60, 1961–72)
* Herman Harper – bass (1957–68)
* Willie Wynn – tenor (1958–73)
* Gary McSpadden – baritone (1962–63)
* Jim Hamill – baritone (1963–64)
* Noel Fox – bass (1969–72)
* Joe Bonsall – tenor (1973–2023)
* Steve Sanders – baritone (1987–95); rhythm guitar (1982–1987)
* Dee Allen – baritone fill-in (1995)
* Paul Martin – baritone fill-in (1995); bass guitar (1997-2002)
* Tim Duncan - bass fill-in (2025)

#### Timeline

[edit]

### Band

[edit]

#### Current members

[edit]

* Rex Wiseman – fiddle, pedal steel guitar, mandolin, guitar (2003–present)
* Scotty Simpson – bass guitar (2013–present)
* Austin Curcuruto – drums, percussion (2017–present)
* Darin Favorite – lead guitar (2021–present)
* Andrew Ishee – keyboard (2024–present)

#### Former members

[edit]

* Boyce Hawkins – piano (1949)
* Bobby Whitfield – piano (1950–52, 1954–1956)
* Glen Allred – guitar, vocals (1951–52)
* Powell Hassell – piano (1957–58)
* Gary Trusler – piano (1960)
* James Goss – piano (1960)
* Mark Ellerbee – drums (1969–79)
* Don Breland – bass guitar (1969–87)
* John Rich – guitar, steel guitar (1972–75)
* Tony Brown – piano and keyboards (1972–75)
* Garland Craft – piano (1975–80)
* B James Lowry - lead guitar (1976), (1987-1990)
* Skip Mitchell – guitar (1976–87)
* Marty Glisson – piano (1976)
* Michael Saleem – drums (1979)
* Fred Satterfield – drums (1980–98)
* Pete Cummings – lead guitar (1980–1982)
* Ron Fairchild – keyboard (1980–2001, 2002–09, 2013–2024; as substitute 2009–2012)
* Dewey Dorough – saxophone, harmonica (1982–1998)[31]
* Paul Uhrig – bass guitar (1987–1988), (1995-1997)
* Dave Watson - bass guitar (1988-1994)
* Kent Wells - lead guitar (1991)
* Don Carr – lead guitar (1991–2014)
* Chris Golden – acoustic guitar, mandolin (1996-1998); drums (1998–2014)
* Jeff Douglas – guitar, dobro (1995–2021)
* Jimmy Fulbright – keyboard (2001); bass guitar (2003–12)
* Kyle Tullis - bass guitar (2002-2003)
* Chris Nole – keyboard (2009–12)
* David Northup – drums, percussion (2014–2017)
* Roger Eaton – lead guitar (2014–2021)
* James Watkins – lead guitar (2021)

## Awards and honors

[edit]

Grammy Awards[32]

* 1971: Best Gospel Performance (other than soul) – "Talk About the Good Times"
* 1975: Best Gospel Performance (other than soul) – "Baptism of Jesse Taylor"
* 1977: Best Gospel Performance (other than soul) – "Where the Soul Never Dies"
* 1978: Best Traditional Gospel Performance – "Just a Little Talk with Jesus"
* 1982: Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal – "Elvira"
* 1999: Best Polka Album – Dance With Me (with Jimmy Sturr)[33]

American Music Awards[34]

* 1982: Best Country Group
* 1985: Best Country Video – "Everyday"

Academy of Country Music Awards[35]

* 1978: Top Vocal Group
* 1979: Top Vocal Group
* 1979: Best Album – Y'all Come Back Saloon
* 1982: Single of the Year – "Elvira"

Country Music Association Awards[36]

* 1978: Instrumental Group of the Year (Oak Ridge Boys Band)
* 1978: Vocal Group of the Year
* 1981: Single of the Year – "Elvira"
* 1986: Instrumental Group of the Year (Oak Ridge Boys Band)

### Other honors

[edit]

* 2000: Inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame[37]
* 2015: Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame[38]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ [Billboard](https://www.billboard.com/music/country/joe-bonsall-retiring-touring-oak-ridge-boys-1235574736/)
2. ^ a b Carter, Walter: "Oak Ridge Boys: Inducted 2015,", 2015, (adapted from the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum's Encyclopedia of Country Music, Oxford University Press) Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, retrieved September 6, 2020
3. ^ a b "Jim Ed Brown And The Browns, Grady Martin, Oak Ridge Boys Inducted Into Country Music Hall Of Fame", October 26, 2015, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, retrieved September 6, 2020
4. ^ Huey, Steve. "Oak Ridge Boys Bio". Cmt.com. Archived from the original on March 3, 2004. Retrieved April 5, 2011.
5. ^ "Opry Timeline – 1940s". Opry.com. Retrieved July 10, 2012.
6. ^ "Jim Hamill". January 14, 2006. Archived from the original on January 14, 2006.
7. ^ Everly-Douze, Susan: "'Livin' on Tulsa Time': Trio Rocks Country Music Cradle", biography, Oklahoma Today, retrieved from Oklahoma State University archives, September 5, 2020
8. ^ Grawe, Jim (producer/narrator): Kansas Country, documentary film (preview online), aired September 5, 2020 (and previously), KPTS-TV, viewed September 5, 2020
9. ^ [RolandNote.com](https://rolandnote.com/people.php?scode=timeline&keyword=Oak+Ridge+Boys&page=20)
10. ^ "Steve Sanders; Former Oak Ridge Boys Baritone". Los Angeles Times. June 11, 1998. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
11. ^ "The Oak Ridge Boys Albums and Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
12. ^ "Steve Sanders dies at 45". Variety.com. June 18, 1998. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
13. ^ "Voices - The Oak Ridge Boys | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
14. ^ "Oak Ridge Boys Invited to Join Grand Ol' Opry - NewsChannel5.com | Nashville News, Weather & Sports". NewsChannel5.com. Archived from the original on March 24, 2012. Retrieved February 13, 2013.
15. ^ "News : Opry Invites Oak Ridge Boys to Join Cast". CMT. July 11, 2011. Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved February 13, 2013.
16. ^ "Oak Ridge Boys Inducted into Grand Ole Opry". oakridgeboys.com. August 6, 2011. Archived from the original on October 11, 2011. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
17. ^ "Oak Ridge Boys to play the Grand Ole Opry". wbir.com. July 9, 2011. Retrieved February 13, 2013.
18. ^ "Grand Ole Opry: A Complete List of Members". Holler Country. March 25, 2025. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
19. ^ Reuter, Annie (October 26, 2015). "Oak Ridge Boys Inducted Into Country Music Hall of Fame". Taste of Country.
20. ^ Watts, Cindy; Thanki, Juli. "Oak Ridge Boys among Country Music Hall of Fame inductees". The Tennessean.
21. ^ "Medallion Red Carpet Fan Experience". Country Music Hall of Fame.
22. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Home Free - Elvira (feat. The Oak Ridge Boys)". YouTube. August 21, 2015.
23. ^ "The Oak Ridge boys perform: "We're here, sir. We told you we would be."". CNN. December 3, 2018.
24. ^ Watts, Cindy (September 19, 2023). "The Oak Ridge Boys Announce Farewell Tour". CMT. Archived from the original on September 28, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
25. ^ Willman, Chris (July 9, 2024). "Joe Bonsall, Mainstay of Country Music's Oak Ridge Boys for 50 Years, Dies at 76". Variety. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
26. ^ Nicholson, Jessica (January 3, 2024). "Joe Bonsall, Tenor Singer for The Oak Ridge Boys, Announces Retirement From Touring". Billboard. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
27. ^ Willman, Chris (July 9, 2024). "Joe Bonsall, Mainstay of Country Music's Oak Ridge Boys for 50 Years, Dies at 76". Variety. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
28. ^ "Pre-Order Mama's Boys; Album Releases October 25th". Oak Ridge Boys. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
29. ^ Linder, Brian (January 15, 2025). "Iconic country music group decides not to retire after all, drops new tour dates". pennlive. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
30. ^ "Oak Ridge Boys Facebook Announcement". Postimages. Spring 2025. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
31. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "The SULTAN Dewey Dorough". YouTube. February 26, 2010. Retrieved January 31, 2016.
32. ^ Widner, Ellis & Carter, Walter. *Our Story*. Contemporary Books, 1987, p. 197.
33. ^ "Complete List of Grammy Winners". SFGATE. February 25, 1999.
34. ^ Widner, Ellis & Carter, Walter. *Our Story*. Contemporary Books, 1987, p. 197.
35. ^ Widner, Ellis & Carter, Walter. *Our Story*. Contemporary Books, 1987, p. 197.
36. ^ Widner, Ellis & Carter, Walter. *Our Story*. Contemporary Books, 1987, p. 197.
37. ^ "CMR Nashville Radio - Oak Ridge Boys Album 'Rock of Ages' Breaks into Billboard Top 10". Cmrnashville.com. Archived from the original on April 28, 2019. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
38. ^ "Inductees List". Country Music Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on April 15, 2014. Retrieved January 16, 2016.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website
* The Oak Ridge Boys at AllMusic
* 'The Oak Ridge Boys' Vocal Group Hall of Fame page
* Oak Ridge Boys biography at the Country Music Television website
* Southern Gospel History: Oak Ridge Boys
* The Oak Ridge Boys at IMDb

* v
* t
* e

The Oak Ridge Boys

* Duane Allen
* William Lee Golden
* Richard Sterban
* Ben James
* Joe Bonsall
* Steve Sanders

Studio albums|

* Y'all Come Back Saloon
* Room Service
* The Oak Ridge Boys Have Arrived
* Together
* Fancy Free
* Bobbie Sue
* American Made
* Deliver
* Step On Out
* Seasons
* Where the Fast Lane Ends
* Heartbeat
* Monongahela
* American Dreams
* Unstoppable
* The Journey
* Common Thread
* A Gospel Journey
* The Boys Are Back
* It's Only Natural
* Mama's Boys

Other albums|

* Greatest Hits
* Greatest Hits 2
* Greatest Hits 3
* Christmas

Notable singles|

* "Y'all Come Back Saloon"
* "You're the One"
* "I'll Be True to You"
* "Cryin' Again"
* "Come On In"
* "Sail Away"
* "Dream On"
* "Leaving Louisiana in the Broad Daylight"
* "Trying to Love Two Women"
* "Heart of Mine"
* "Beautiful You"
* "Elvira"
* "(I'm Settin') Fancy Free"
* "Bobbie Sue"
* "So Fine"
* "I Wish You Could Have Turned My Head (And Left My Heart Alone)"
* "Thank God for Kids"
* "American Made"
* "Love Song"
* "Ozark Mountain Jubilee"
* "I Guess It Never Hurts to Hurt Sometimes"
* "Everyday"
* "Make My Life with You"
* "Little Things"
* "Touch a Hand, Make a Friend"
* "Come On In (You Did the Best You Could Do)"
* "Juliet"
* "You Made a Rock of a Rolling Stone"
* "It Takes a Little Rain (To Make Love Grow)"
* "This Crazy Love"
* "Time In"
* "True Heart"
* "Gonna Take a Lot of River"
* "Bridges and Walls"
* "Beyond Those Years"
* "An American Family"
* "No Matter How High"
* "(You're My) Soul and Inspiration"
* "Lucky Moon"
* "Change My Mind"
* "Seven Nation Army"

Guest singles|

* "Same Ole Me" (with George Jones)
* "When You Get to the Heart (with Barbara Mandrell)
* "Out Goin' Cattin'" (Sawyer Brown with Joe Bonsall)
* "Broken Trust" (with Brenda Lee)

Related articles|

* Discography
* The Goldens

* v
* t
* e

Members of the Grand Ole Opry

Current members|

* Trace Adkins
* Lauren Alaina
* Bill Anderson
* Kelsea Ballerini
* Bobby Bare
* Mandy Barnett
* Dierks Bentley
* Clint Black
* Garth Brooks
* T. Graham Brown
* Steven Curtis Chapman
* Henry Cho
* Terri Clark
* Luke Combs
* John Conlee
* Dailey & Vincent
* Diamond Rio
* Sara Evans
* Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers
* Crystal Gayle
* Vince Gill
* Emmylou Harris
* The Isaacs
* Alan Jackson
* Chris Janson
* Jamey Johnson
* Alison Krauss
* Lady A
* Little Big Town
* Patty Loveless
* Dustin Lynch
* Barbara Mandrell
* Martina McBride
* Ashley McBryde
* Del McCoury
* Charlie McCoy
* Scotty McCreery
* Reba McEntire
* Ronnie Milsap
* Eddie Montgomery
* Craig Morgan
* Lorrie Morgan
* Gary Mule Deer
* The Oak Ridge Boys
* Old Crow Medicine Show
* Brad Paisley
* Jon Pardi
* Dolly Parton
* Carly Pearce
* Stu Phillips
* Jeanne Pruett
* Rascal Flatts
* Riders in the Sky
* Darius Rucker
* Don Schlitz
* Jeannie Seely
* Blake Shelton
* Ricky Van Shelton
* Ricky Skaggs
* Connie Smith
* Mike Snider
* Marty Stuart
* Pam Tillis
* Randy Travis
* Travis Tritt
* Josh Turner
* Carrie Underwood
* Keith Urban
* Rhonda Vincent
* Steve Wariner
* Gene Watson
* The Whites
* Mark Wills
* Lainey Wilson
* Trisha Yearwood
* Chris Young

Former members|

* Roy Acuff
* David "Stringbean" Akeman
* Jack Anglin
* Eddy Arnold
* Ernest Ashworth
* Chet Atkins
* DeFord Bailey
* Bashful Brother Oswald
* Humphrey Bate
* Binkley Brothers' Dixie Clodhoppers
* Margie Bowes
* Rod Brasfield
* Jim Ed Brown
* The Browns
* Carl Butler and Pearl
* Archie Campbell
* Bill Carlisle
* Martha Carson
* The Carter Sisters
* Maybelle Carter
* Johnny Cash
* June Carter Cash
* Roy Clark
* Zeke Clements
* Patsy Cline
* Jerry Clower
* Stoney Cooper
* Wilma Lee Cooper
* Cowboy Copas
* Charlie Daniels
* Skeeter Davis
* The Delmore Brothers
* The DeZurik Sisters
* Little Jimmy Dickens
* Joe Diffie
* Danny Dill
* Jimmy Driftwood
* Roy Drusky
* The Duke of Paducah
* Holly Dunn
* The Everly Brothers
* Lester Flatt
* Red Foley
* Curly Fox
* Lefty Frizzell
* Troy Gentry
* Don Gibson
* Billy Grammer
* Jack Greene
* The Gully Jumpers
* Theron Hale
* Tom T. Hall
* George Hamilton IV
* Sid Harkreader
* Hawkshaw Hawkins
* George D. Hay
* Hoot Hester
* Goldie Hill
* David Houston
* Jan Howard
* Ferlin Husky
* Stonewall Jackson
* Sonny James
* Norma Jean
* Jim & Jesse
* Johnnie & Jack
* George Jones
* Grandpa Jones
* The Jordanaires
* Doug Kershaw
* Hal Ketchum
* Bradley Kincaid
* Pee Wee King
* Hank Locklin
* Lonzo and Oscar
* Bobby Lord
* The Louvin Brothers
* Charlie Louvin
* Ira Louvin
* Bob Luman
* Loretta Lynn
* Uncle Dave Macon
* Rose Maddox
* Mel McDaniel
* Jesse McReynolds
* McGee Brothers
* Bill Monroe
* George Morgan
* Moon Mullican
* Willie Nelson
* Jimmy C. Newman
* Bobby Osborne
* Sonny Osborne
* Johnny Paycheck
* Minnie Pearl
* Webb Pierce
* Ray Pillow
* Ray Price
* Charley Pride
* Del Reeves
* Jim Reeves
* Leon Rhodes
* Tex Ritter
* Marty Robbins
* Johnny Russell
* Rusty and Doug
* Earl Scruggs
* Jean Shepard
* Mississippi Slim
* Carl Smith
* Fiddlin' Arthur Smith
* Hank Snow
* Red Sovine
* Ralph Stanley
* Texas Ruby
* B. J. Thomas
* Uncle Jimmy Thompson
* Mel Tillis
* Tompall & the Glaser Brothers
* Ernest Tubb
* Justin Tubb
* Leroy Van Dyke
* Porter Wagoner
* Billy Walker
* Charlie Walker
* Kitty Wells
* Dottie West
* Keith Whitley†
* Slim Whitman
* The Wilburn Brothers
* Don Williams
* Hank Williams
* Boxcar Willie
* The Willis Brothers
* Chubby Wise
* Del Wood
* Marion Worth
* Johnnie Wright
* Tammy Wynette
* Faron Young

†Honorary former member; was scheduled to be invited, but died before the invitation was extended

Pending members|

* Steve Earle

* v
* t
* e

Country Music Hall of Fame 2010s

* Jimmy Dean (2010)
* Ferlin Husky (2010)
* Billy Sherrill (2010)
* Don Williams (2010)
* Bobby Braddock (2011)
* Reba McEntire (2011)
* Jean Shepard (2011)
* Garth Brooks (2012)
* Hargus "Pig" Robbins (2012)
* Connie Smith (2012)
* Bobby Bare (2013)
* Jack Clement (2013)
* Kenny Rogers (2013)
* Hank Cochran (2014)
* Ronnie Milsap (2014)
* Mac Wiseman (2014)
* Jim Ed Brown and The Browns (2015)
* Grady Martin (2015)
* The Oak Ridge Boys (2015)
* Charlie Daniels (2016)
* Fred Foster (2016)
* Randy Travis (2016)
* Alan Jackson (2017)
* Jerry Reed (2017)
* Don Schlitz (2017)
* Ricky Skaggs (2018)
* Dottie West (2018)
* Johnny Gimble (2018)
* Brooks & Dunn (2019)
* Ray Stevens (2019)
* Jerry Bradley (2019)

* v
* t
* e

American Music Award for Favorite Country Band/Duo/Group

* Carter Family (1974)
* Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn (1975)
* Donny Osmond and Marie Osmond (1976)
* Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn (1977)
* Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn (1978)
* The Statler Brothers (1979)
* The Statler Brothers (1980)
* The Statler Brothers (1981)
* The Oak Ridge Boys (1982)
* Alabama (1983)
* Alabama (1984)
* Alabama (1985)
* Alabama (1986)
* Alabama (1987)
* Alabama (1988)
* Alabama (1989)
* Alabama (1990)
* Alabama (1991)
* Alabama (1992)
* Alabama (1993)
* Alabama (1994)
* Alabama (1995)
* Alabama (1996)
* Brooks & Dunn (1997)
* Alabama (1998)
* Alabama (1999)
* Brooks & Dunn (2000)
* Dixie Chicks (2001)
* Brooks & Dunn (2002)
* Dixie Chicks (2003)
* Alabama (2003)
* Brooks & Dunn (2004)
* Brooks & Dunn (2005)
* Rascal Flatts (2006)
* Rascal Flatts (2007)
* Rascal Flatts (2008)
* Rascal Flatts (2009)
* Lady Antebellum (2010)
* Lady Antebellum (2011)
* Lady Antebellum (2012)
* Lady Antebellum (2013)
* Florida Georgia Line (2014)
* Florida Georgia Line (2015)
* Florida Georgia Line (2016)
* Little Big Town (2017)
* Florida Georgia Line (2018)
* Dan + Shay (2019)
* Dan + Shay (2020)
* Dan + Shay (2021)
* Dan + Shay (2022)
* Dan + Shay (2025)

* v
* t
* e

CMA Vocal Group of the Year

* The Stoneman Family (1967)
* Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner (1968)
* Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash (1969)
* Tompall & the Glaser Brothers (1970)
* Osborne Brothers (1971)
* The Statler Brothers (1972)
* The Statler Brothers (1973)
* The Statler Brothers (1974)
* The Statler Brothers (1975)
* The Statler Brothers (1976)
* The Statler Brothers (1977)
* The Oak Ridge Boys (1978)
* The Statler Brothers (1979)
* The Statler Brothers (1980)
* Alabama (1981)
* Alabama (1982)
* Alabama (1983)
* The Statler Brothers (1984)
* The Judds (1985)
* The Judds (1986)
* The Judds (1987)
* Highway 101 (1988)
* Highway 101 (1989)
* The Kentucky Headhunters (1990)
* The Kentucky Headhunters (1991)
* Diamond Rio (1992)
* Diamond Rio (1993)
* Diamond Rio (1994)
* The Mavericks (1995)
* The Mavericks (1996)
* Diamond Rio (1997)
* Dixie Chicks (1998)
* Dixie Chicks (1999)
* Dixie Chicks (2000)
* Lonestar (2001)
* Dixie Chicks (2002)
* Rascal Flatts (2003)
* Rascal Flatts (2004)
* Rascal Flatts (2005)
* Rascal Flatts (2006)
* Rascal Flatts (2007)
* Rascal Flatts (2008)
* Lady Antebellum (2009)
* Lady Antebellum (2010)
* Lady Antebellum (2011)
* Little Big Town (2012)
* Little Big Town (2013)
* Little Big Town (2014)
* Little Big Town (2015)
* Little Big Town (2016)
* Little Big Town (2017)
* Old Dominion (2018)
* Old Dominion (2019)
* Old Dominion (2020)
* Old Dominion (2021)
* Old Dominion (2022)
* Old Dominion (2023)
* Old Dominion (2024)

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF

National|

* Germany
* United States

Artists|

* MusicBrainz

Other|

* IdRef

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