Despite their long stint in the music industry, the Oak Ridge Boys are still very pertinent in the music scene. They continue to record and produce music and perform more than 150 days a year on tour across the United States and Canada. The group has released thirty one studio albums, and fifty six singles, of which seventeen have been number one hits on the country charts.
History:
The group that would eventually become The Oak Ridge Boys was formed in 1943 in Knoxville, Tennessee, as Wally Fowler and Georgia Clodhoppers. They began by performing at Oakville, which was a military facility, for the families that were stationed there. After regularly performing at the facility, the group adopted the name, The Oak Ridge Quartet. The band comprised Wally Fowler, Curly Kinsey, Johnny New and Lon "Deacon" Freeman and they focused on singing southern gospel.
After a number of personnel changes, a new lineup followed, featuring members of the Cavalry Quartet. The band got a recording contract in 1957 and recorded two albums. They also ended up changing the name of the group to "The Oak Ridge Boys" in 1961 since they felt they needed a contemporary name for their brand of music.
The most famous incarnation of the Oak Ridge Boys would come a few years later and consisted of lead singer Duane Allen, tenor Joe Bonsall, baritone Willian Lee Golden and bassist Richard Sterban. This lineup produced some of the groups most well known hits, especially after focusing on country music. Apart from a small period when Golden left the group, the lineup has been performing together since 1973 and they still continue to record and tour.
Career Highlights:
In 1973, the group signed with Columbia records and started working on their new album. The resulting album, "Y’all Come Back Saloon" was a major hit and two of its singles reached the top five in the chart. Their next album "Room Service" gave the Boys two more top five singles including their first number one hit, I’ll Be True to You. Awards and accolades soon followed, as the group won their first major award in 1977, The Academy of Country Music Award for Best Vocal Group. The following year, The Country Music Association also honored the Oak’s with its Vocal Group of the Year Award. The group won the prestigious Country Group of the Year award given by the Juke Box Operators of America. In 1981, the group released perhaps their most famous single, Elvira, which hit the top of the Country and Pop charts, selling two and a half million copies. The group won two more awards for their efforts; the Country Music Association Single of the Year for Elvira, and an American Music Award for Best Country Music Video for Everyday. The following year, the Oak Ridge Boys won their fifth Grammy Award for Best Vocal Performance by a Country Group or Duo (Elvira). The band continued to record and tour extensively, playing at major venues throughout the country and the world, including the Thanksgiving Parade and the Royal Albert Hall. In 2000, the Oak Ridge Boys were inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and in 2008, the Academy of Country Music honored the group with the prestigious Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award.