The Oak Ridge Boys Celebrate 50th Anniversary Milestone With Duane Allen, Joe Bonsall, William Lee Golden, & Richard Sterban
Pictured L-R: Joe Bonsall, Richard Sterban, William Lee Golden, Duane Allen
Photo by Jimmy Moore
Pictured L-R: Joe Bonsall, Duane Allen, William Lee Golden, Richard Sterban,
Photo by Brandon Wood / Indie Bling Studios
Also Celebrating the 80th Anniversary Of The Founding Of The Group
The Oak Ridge Boys Continue 2023 Front Porch Singin’ Tour
“Few Country Music groups have had the enduring popularity, cultural significance, or crossover success of The Oak Ridge Boys, a vocal harmony quartet that started out in traditional country and gospel during World War II and evolved with the times to help popularize and modernize Country Music far beyond traditional genre and regional lines.” – Wendy Pearl
GRAMMY® Award-winning and Country Music Hall of Fame members, The Oak Ridge Boys are celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the four members, Duane Allen (1966), Joe Bonsall (1973), William Lee Golden (1965), and Richard Sterban (1972) coming together to form the group as known today.
The Oak Ridge Boys have received four Academy of Country Music, two American Music, five Billboard, four Country Music Association, five Grammy, and twelve Dove Awards, just to name a few. They are members of the Grand Ole Opry, the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, and the Country Music Hall of Fame. They have achieved seventeen #1 hits including “Leaving Louisiana In The Broad Daylight,” “Bobbie Sue,” “Trying To Love Two Women,” “(I’m Settin’) Fancy Free,” “American Made,” and the unforgettable “Elvira.” With an astounding thirty-seven Top 20 country hits, with twelve gold, three platinum, and one double-platinum album, The Oak Ridge Boys have made their mark in every facet of the gospel, pop, and country music industry.
“I was 25 years old in 1973 when I joined The Oak Ridge Boys,” shares Joe Bonsall. “I am 75 years old in 2023 and I am STILL an Oak Ridge Boy. It has been and still IS an amazing ride.”
“It has been an honor to sing with Duane, Joe, and William Lee,” shares Richard Sterban. “We have been extremely blessed. I have had an extraordinary life, and I am thankful to the Lord above.”
The group originally started in 1943 when they were recruited to entertain the sequestered personnel and their families at the Oak Ridge nuclear research facility located nearby. In 1945, they made their debut performances on the prestigious Grand Ole Opry stage.
In the early seventies, The Oak Ridge Boys continued to expand their cutting-edge style. After the addition of Richard Sterban in 1972 and Joe Bonsall in 1973, the Oaks were forever changed with a new direction, a new sound, and a new path. Their career stands alone with its legacy, its style, and its continued contributions to gospel and country music.
“The history of The Oak Ridge Boys runs deep in America’s history,” says William Lee Golden. “I am honored to still be a part of it. We are a family and always will be.”
“To be anywhere with anyone for 50 years is an accomplishment, and we are celebrating!!” adds Duane Allen. “Come out to one of our shows and sing along with us!”
The Oak Ridge Boys Upcoming Tour Dates:
AUG 03 – Capital One Hall / Tysons, Va.
AUG 04 – Peoples Bank Theatre / Marietta, Ohio
AUG 05 – Point of the Bluff Vineyards / Hammondsport, N.Y.
AUG 18 – Centre County Grange Fair / Centre Hall, Pa.
AUG 19 – H. Ric Luhrs Performing Arts Center / Shippensburg, Pa.
AUG 20 – Kentucky State Fair – Texas Roadhouse Main Stage
AUG 25 – Country Tonite Theatre / Pigeon Forge, Tenn.
AUG 27 – Meramec Music Theatre / Steelville, Mo.
AUG 28 – Nebraska State Fair / Grand Island, Neb.
SEP 01 – Rhythm City Casino Resort Event Center / Davenport, Iowa
SEP 08 – Sorg Opera House / Middletown, Ohio
SEP 09 – Viterbo University Fine Arts Center / La Crosse, Wis.
SEP 12 – Southeast Missouri District Fair / Cape Girardeau, Mo.
SEP 15 – Newberry Opera House / Newberry, S.C.
SEP 16 – Alabama Theatre / N. Myrtle Beach, S.C.
SEP 20 – The Mansion Theatre for the Performing Arts / Branson, Mo.
SEP 21 – The Mansion Theatre for the Performing Arts / Branson, Mo.
SEP 22 – Capital Region MU Health Care Amphitheater / Jefferson City, Mo.
SEP 28 – North Dakota State Fair Center / Minot, N.D.
SEP 29 – Chester Fritz Auditorium / Grand Forks, N.D.
SEP 30 – Swiftel Center / Brookings, S.D.
OCT 04 – The Mansion Theatre for the Performing Arts / Branson, Mo.
OCT 05 – The Mansion Theatre for the Performing Arts / Branson, Mo.
OCT 06 – Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City / Kansas City, Mo.
OCT 07 – Richard Drake’s Party Barn / Powderly, Texas
OCT 11 – The Mansion Theatre for the Performing Arts / Branson, Mo.
OCT 12 – The Mansion Theatre for the Performing Arts / Branson, Mo.
OCT 13 – Arlington Music Hall / Arlington, Texas
OCT 14 – Arlington Music Hall / Arlington, Texas
OCT 18 – The Mansion Theatre for the Performing Arts / Branson, Mo.
OCT 19 – The Mansion Theatre for the Performing Arts / Branson, Mo.
OCT 21 – Rome City Auditorium / Rome, Ga.
OCT 26 – The Mansion Theatre for the Performing Arts / Branson, Mo.
OCT 27 – The Mansion Theatre for the Performing Arts / Branson, Mo.
OCT 28 – Neewollah Celebration – Jim Halsey Auditorium / Independence, Kan.
For The Oak Ridge Boys’ full tour schedule, visit HERE.
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About The Oak Ridge Boys:
The Oak Ridge Boys have sold over 41 million units worldwide and are synonymous with “America, apple pie, baseball, and country music.” In addition to their awards and accolades in the country music field, the Oaks have garnered five GRAMMY® Awards, nine GMA DOVE Awards, and two American Music Awards. The group, Duane Allen, Joe Bonsall, William Lee Golden, and Richard Sterban, members of the prestigious Country Music Hall of Fame (2015 Inductees) and the Grand Ole Opry (since 2011)—is known worldwide as one of recording history’s most extraordinary musical successes. They have charted single after single and album after album—gold, platinum, and double-platinum, and more than 30 Top 10 hits, including No. 1 chart-toppers “Elvira,” “Bobbie Sue,” “American Made,” and “Y’All Come Back Saloon,” among dozens more. For more information and to view upcoming tour dates for The Oak Ridge Boys, please visit oakridgeboys.com.
