Biography
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Years Active
1945 – present (80 years)
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Founded In
Oak Ridge, Anderson County, Tennessee, United States
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Members
- Duane Allen (1966 – present)
- Gary McSpadden (1962 – 1963)
- Joe Bonsall (1973 – 2024)
- Richard Sterban (1972 – present)
- Steve Sanders (1987 – 1995)
The Oak Ridge Boys is an American country and gospel vocal quartet originating in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The four-part harmonies and upbeat songs of band has spawned dozens of country hits and a #1 pop smash, earning them Grammy, Dove, CMA and ACM awards, and garnering a host of other industry and fan accolades.
The group was founded in 1943 as the Oak Ridge Quartet. They became popular in Southern gospel during the 1950s. Their name was changed to The Oak Ridge Boys in the early 1960s, and they remained a gospel group until the mid-1970s, when they changed their image and concentrated on country music.
The lineup that produced their most well-known country and crossover hits ― such as "Elvira" (1981), "Bobbie Sue" (1982), and "American Made" (1983) ― consists of Duane Allen (lead vocals), William Lee Golden (baritone), Richard Sterban (bass), and, until his 2024 death, Joe Bonsall (tenor). Golden and Allen joined the group in the mid-1960s, and Sterban and Bonsall joined in the early 1970s. Golden was removed from the group in 1987 and replaced by Steve Sanders until 1995, when he left and Golden rejoined. Ben James replaced Bonsall on tenor vocals in 2024, just before Bonsall's death from complications of ALS.
The group was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2015.
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