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T H E O A K R I D G E B O Y SA Piece of HistoryTheirs is one of the most distinctive and recognizable sounds in the music industry. The four-part harmonies and upbeat songs of the Oak Ridge Boys have spawned dozens of Country hits and a Number One Pop smash, earned them Grammy, Dove, CMA, and ACM awards and garnered a host of other industry and fan accolades. Every time they step before an audience, the Oaks bring three decades of charted singles, and 50 years of tradition, to bear on a stage show widely acknowledged as among the most exciting anywhere. And each remains as enthusiastic about the process as they have ever been. “When I go on stage, I get the same feeling I had the first time I sang with the Oak Ridge Boys,” says lead singer Duane Allen. “This is the only job I've ever wanted to have.” “Like everyone else in the group,” adds bass singer extraordinaire Richard Sterban, “I was a fan of the Oaks before I became a member. I’m still a fan of the group today. Being in the Oak Ridge Boys is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.” The two, along with tenor Joe Bonsall and baritone William Lee Golden, comprise one of Country's truly legendary acts. Their string of hits includes the pop chart-topper Elvira, as well as Bobbie Sue, Dream On, Thank God For Kids, American Made, I Guess It Never Hurts To Hurt Sometimes, Fancy Free, Gonna Take A Lot Of River, and many others. They've scored 12 gold, three platinum, and one double platinum album, plus one double platinum single, and had more than a dozen national Number One singles and over 30 Top Ten hits. The Oaks represent a tradition that extends back to 1943. The original group, based in Knoxville, Tennessee, began performing Country and Gospel music in nearby Oak Ridge where the atomic bomb was being developed. They called themselves the Oak Ridge Quartet, and they began regular Grand Ole Opry appearances in the fall of ‘45. In the mid-fifties, they were featured in Time magazine as one of the top drawing Gospel groups in the nation. By the late ‘60s, with more than 30 members having come and gone, they had a lineup that included Duane Allen, William Lee Golden, Noel Fox, and Willie Wynn. Among the Oaks’ many acquaintances in the Gospel field were Bonsall, a streetwise Philadelphia kid who embraced Gospel music; and Sterban, who was singing in quartets and holding down a job as a men’s clothing salesman. Both admired the distinctive, highly popular Oaks. “They were the most innovative quartet in Gospel music,” says Bonsall. “They performed Gospel with a Rock approach, had a full band, wore bell-bottom pants, and grew their hair long... things unheard of at the time.” The four became friends, and when the Oaks needed a bass and tenor, in ‘72 and ‘73 respectively, Sterban and Bonsall got the calls. For a while, the group remained at the pinnacle of the Gospel music circuit. It was there they refined the strengths that would soon make them an across-the-board attraction. “We did a lot of package shows,” said Bonsall, “and there was an incredible amount of competition. You had to blow people away to sell records and get invited back.” Their Gospel sound had a distinct Pop edge to it and, although it made for excitement and crowd appeal, it also ruffled purist feathers and left promoters unsure about the Oaks’ direction. Then in 1975, the Oaks were asked to open a number of dates for Roy Clark. Clark’s manager, Jim Halsey, was impressed by their abilities. “He came backstage and told us we were three-and-a-half minutes (meaning one hit record) away from being a major act,” says Bonsall. “He said we had one of the most dynamic stage shows he’d ever seen, but that we had to start singing Country songs.” They took his advice and the result was a breakthrough. “Those who came to Country music with or after the New Traditionalists of the mid-eighties cannot possibly imagine the impact the Oaks had in 1977, when they lit up the sky from horizon to horizon with Y’All Come Back Saloon,” said Billboard’s Ed Morris, who added “... the vocal intensity the group brought to it instantly enriched and enlivened the perilously staid Country format. These guys were exciting.” Within a year, Paul Simon would tap them to sing backup for his hit Slip Slidin’ Away, and they would go on to record with George Jones, Brenda Lee, Johnny Cash, Roy Rogers, Billy Ray Cyrus, Bill Monroe, Ray Charles, and others. They would appear before four presidents; produce one of the first Country music videos (Easy, in 1977, which wasn’t released in the U.S. but hit #3 in Australia); take part in the first headline tour of the USSR; and become one of the most enduringly successful, touring groups anywhere. They did it with a consistently upbeat musical approach and terrific business savvy. “We always look for songs that have lasting value and that are uplifting,” says Allen, who has co-produced the Oaks’ last seven albums. “You don’t hear us singing ‘cheating’ or ‘drinking’ songs, but ‘loving’ songs, because we think that will last. We also don‘t put music in categories, except for ‘good’ or ‘bad.’ When we get through with it, it’s probably going to sound like an Oak Ridge Boys song no matter what it is.” They proved their business acumen in any number of ways, including such steps as declining the chance to sit on the couch during their many appearances on the Tonight Show. “We said, ‘If you‘re going to give us four minutes on the couch with Johnny, we’d rather have four minutes to give you another song that lets people know what got us here,’” says Allen. “We didn’t get here talking; we got here singing.” They also proved themselves to be capable and tireless advocates of charitable and civic causes, serving as spokesmen and/or board members of fundraisers for the Boy Scouts of America, the National Committee for Prevention of Child Abuse, Feed The Children, the National Anthem Project, and many more. The group’s first personnel change in many years occurred in 1987 when Steve Sanders, who had been playing guitar in the Oaks Band, replaced William Lee as the baritone singer. Late in ‘95, Steve resigned from the Oaks and exactly one minute after midnight on New Year’s Eve, Duane, Joe, and Richard surprised a packed house at the Holiday Star Theatre in Merrillville, Indiana, by welcoming William Lee on stage and back into the group. The hit makers were finally together again! The Oaks’ high-energy stage show remains the heart and soul of what they do, and they refine it several times a year, striving to keep it fresh well into the future. “We‘re not willing to rest on our laurels,” Golden says. “That gets boring. As a group, we do things constantly to challenge ourselves, to try to do something different or better than the last time we did it.” “I feel like I can do what I do on stage just as good now as I could 20 years ago,” says Bonsall. “In fact, if anything, I’m in better shape now than I was 20 years ago. I plan to be rockin’ my tail off out there as long as I’m healthy and don’t look stupid doing it. The people who come out, who bring their families to see us, deserve everything I’ve got.” “We’ve experienced a lot of longevity,” adds Sterban, “and I think the reason is the love we have for what we do — the desire, the longing to actually get up there and do it. We love to sing together... to harmonize together. It’s what our lives are all about.”
4.26.06 T H E O A K R I D G E B O Y S
Factsheet
PERSONAL APPEARANCES The Oak Ridge Boys work some 150 personal appearances each year, ranging from giant state fairs to select theaters in the round and including auditoriums and arenas nationwide. MODE OF TRAVEL Two customized Prevost buses. ENTOURAGE The Oak Ridge Boys’ tours are comprised of some 20 men, ten performers along with a road manager, stage manager, lighting and sound technicians, and other crew. CORPORATE OFFICE Oak Ridge Boys, Inc., 88 New Shackle Island Road, Hendersonville, TN 37075. Phone: 615-824-4924. Fax: 615-822-7078. E-mail: omt@oakridgeboys.com Website: www.oakridgeboys.com MANAGEMENT Jim Halsey, The Halsey Company, 720 North 136th Road, Mounds, OK 74047. Phone: 918-827-6529. Fax: 918-827-6533. E-mail: jim@jimhalsey.com RECORD LABEL Spring Hill Music, Inc., 111 Westwood Place, Ste. 420, Brentwood, TN 37027. Phone: 615-383-5535. Fax: 615-383-6632 BOOKING/TV/CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP William Morris Agency, 1600 Division Street, Suite 300, Nashville, TN 37203. Phone: 615-963-3000. Fax: 615-963-3090. Website: www.wma.com PUBLIC RELATIONS Sanford Brokaw, The Brokaw Company, 9255 Sunset Boulevard, Suite 804, Los Angeles, CA 90069. Phone: 310-273-2060. Fax: 310-276-4037. E-mail: brokawc@aol.com FAN CLUB The Oak Ridge Boys International Fan Club, www.oakridgeboys.com. E-mail: fanclub@oakridgeboys.com PAST CORPORATE ENDORSEMENTS The BluBlocker Corporation; Pillsbury/Totino’s Pizza; Ralston-Purina; AT&T; Dr. Pepper. INTERNATIONAL APPEARANCES Canada, Belgium, England, Finland, France, Monaco, Norway, Soviet Union, Sweden, Switzerland, West Germany. COMMAND PERFORMANCES King Gustaf of Sweden, Her Royal Highness Princess Caroline of Monaco, Her Royal Highness Princess Anne of Great Britain, President and Mrs. Jimmy Carter, President and Mrs. Ronald Reagan, President and Mrs. George H. W. Bush, President and Mrs. Bill Clinton, President and Mrs. George W. Bush. TELEVISION APPEARANCES (PARTIAL LIST) The Oak Ridge Boys have had a number of nationally-televised concert specials in recent years, including Let Freedom Sing, Holiday Colors, From The Heart, and Christmas Cookies for Feed The Children. They also hosted The Oak Ridge Boys Live From Las Vegas series for TNN. Previous Oak Ridge Boys specials were produced and aired by PBS and HBO. A short list of other appearances includes: American Bandstand’s 30th Anniversary; ABC’s 20/20; Good Morning America; Tonight Show; Regis & Kathie Lee; Grammy Awards; American Music Awards; Country Music Association Awards; Academy of Country Music Awards; TNN/Music City News Awards; Viewers Choice Awards; Entertainment Tonight; New Year’s Rockin’ Eve; TV’s Bloopers & Practical Jokes; Wolftrap Salutes ASCAP (PBS Great American Performances); The Bush Presidential Inaugural Gala; The World’s Largest Concert for PBS; *Crook & Chase; *Nashville Now; and *Prime Time Country. *The Oak Ridge Boys were occasional guest hosts for these three shows. PHILANTHROPIC ACTIVITIES Over the years, the group has been active in diverse humanitarian activities. They helped build a Habitat for Humanity house in Kentucky. In 1997-1998, they lent their name to the American Forests Country Music Tree Series, a national non-profit conservation organization. They served as Honorary Chairmen of the National Committee for Prevention of Child Abuse (now, Prevent Child Abuse America), 1985-88. They recorded jingles and a television commercial while serving as spokesmen for the Boy Scouts of America. They were featured in government campaigns such as Take Pride In America (U.S. Departments of Interior and Agriculture); the Tennessee Adopt-A-Highway Program; and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Buckle-Up Campaign. And they were featured in a national Tennessee Tourism campaign. In 1985, the Oaks represented all of American music at the grand opening of the Acropolis in Nice, France, where they donated their performance fee to the international relief organization, Feed The Children. The money was used to drill four water wells in the Rift Valley of Kenya. The Oaks continue to work with Feed The Children. Since 1992, they have helped collect an estimated three million pounds of food for the needy. In 2005, the group agreed to act as “musical ambassadors” for the three-year National Anthem Project, sponsored by MENC (The National Association For Music Education).
5.12.06
T H E O A K R I D G E B O Y S
INDIVIDUAL BIOS
Duane AllenA native of Taylortown, Texas, Duane (“Ace”) Allen had formal training in both operatic and quartet singing before becoming a member of the Oaks in 1966. He has written a book on the history of Gospel music and has an honorary doctorate from a Christian college. Duane’s farm in Hendersonville, Tennessee, features a menagerie that includes beef cattle, horses, burros, and Canadian geese. A superb businessman, he is credited with keeping the Oaks on firm financial footing during their switch from Gospel to Country in the late 1970s. Duane also loves to find new music for the Oaks; consequently, he has recently taken on the role of co-producer. Duane, along with Michael Sykes, produced the group’s last seven albums. To relax and stay in physical shape, he walks 20-30 miles each week and works out with a personal trainer! He is also an avid basketball fan and enjoys shooting hoops whenever he gets the chance. Duane is an antique car buff; he has more than two-dozen classics in a collection that is housed in a museum he calls Ace On Wheels. “It’s a great way to relax,” he says of the restoration process. “I get a lot of pleasure out of going down there and sanding and painting with no real sense of urgency.” He and his wife Norah Lee raised two children, Jamie and Dee, and now enjoy spending time with their two grandsons, March and Kell, and their granddaughter Texas LeeAnna.
Joe BonsallJoe’s Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, background shows through clearly in his love of the Philadelphia Phillies. According to Joe, “I live and die with the Phillies, no matter where they are. 1993 was great for me; one of the highlights was going home to Philadelphia and taking my parents to two World Series games. That was so cool.” Now a Nashvillian for almost three decades, Joe is also a Tennessee Titans football fan. He and his wife Mary attend Titans’ game whenever he is in town. Joe is an avid writer and songwriter. He became a published children’s book author in 1997, with The Molly Books, a four-book series published by Ideal’s Children’s Books. In 2003, New Leaf Press published G. I. Joe and Lillie: Remembering A Life of Love and Loyalty, an inspirational biography Joe penned about his parents. His song by the same name was included in the Oaks' Colors album, which was released the same year. Joe subsequently wrote the title song to The Journey album and the text for the Oaks’ coffee table book, An American Journey. For relaxation, he retreats to his farm on the Tennessee-Kentucky state line and can often be found on his John Deere tractor mowing part of his 350-acres — or sitting on his front porch and playing his banjo! Joe joined the Oaks in 1973. As with the other group members, much of his time is spent on the road performing, but Joe has found his own way to get the maximum possible enjoyment out of touring. “My life is really pretty simple,” says the Oak who is the principal spokesman on stage. “I go out there and try to sing the best I can and give them physically and mentally every single thing I’ve got. When it’s done, I go back to my room, call home, eat my pizza or sushi, get on my Apple laptop, watch the sports scores, and say to myself, ‘Hey, I’ve done what I’m supposed to be doin’ and I feel great about it.’”
Joe has two daughters, Jennifer and
Sabrina, and two grandchildren, Breanne and Luke. William Lee Golden One of the most recognizable faces in Country music, William Lee Golden first joined the Oaks in 1965. A farmer’s son from Brewton, Alabama, he made his professional singing debut at age seven when he and his sister Lanette performed Gospel tunes on his grandfather’s weekly radio show. His love of music never abated. He sang with his high school’s FFA quartet and soon formed a group of his own, The Pilot’s Trio. Inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 1997, William was presented with their Lifework Award for Performing Achievement. He says, “At this point in our career, we have a great appreciation for the fact that we’re still around singing when a lot of our colleagues and fellow singers and musicians have seemed to hang it up. But I can’t imagine life without doing what we love to do and we love to sing. William’s fascination with and knowledge of the native-American way of life has earned him respect and recognition from American Indians, as well as members of The Mountain Man Association. He has been honored with many awards, including Celebrity of the Year in 1994 by the Indian Exposition of Anadarko, OK, which is made up of 15 tribes across the nation, as well as an acclamation from the Cherokee tribe. William has discovered another passion besides his music, and that is art. After years of collecting art, he began painting in January of 2002. His subjects are selected from photographs he takes of scenic locations while on tour with the Oaks. In various hotel rooms across the nation, he paints his colorful landscapes prior to performing his concerts in the evenings. “Traveling over 170 days each year, my days on the road are now filled with peace and contentment, because I get to fulfill my passion for painting in the daytime and my love of singing at night.” He and
his wife Brenda, and their son Solomon, live in the Golden Era
Plantation built in 1786. William Lee has three older sons, Rusty,
Craig, and Chris, as well as six grandchildren. Richard Sterban Richard began his singing career as a six-year-old soprano in Sunday school in his native Camden, New Jersey. He was a tenor in the glee club in seventh grade, but when he returned in the fall for eighth grade, he was a bass! He loved sports and music, decided he had more talent for the latter, and developed a simple goal: “I wanted to be in the best vocal group in the world.” Before joining the Oaks in 1972, Richard sang in various groups, most notably backing Elvis Presley as a member of The Stamps Quartet. Baseball has also been a longtime passion. For many years he has been an owner of the Nashville Sounds (Milwaukee Brewers AAA club), attending spring training, even taking bus trips with the team. His well-tailored clothing reveals one of his other loves. “When I was singing part-time and working in a clothing store,” Richard recalls, “I developed a real interest in fashion, and it’s something that has carried through.” Richard enjoys fine restaurants, collecting wine, and traveling — particularly to the seashore, where he likes sailing and snorkeling. A fitness buff, he has a bicycle at home and keeps another stowed in a bay under the tour bus. He even has a case so he can check a bicycle aboard airplanes. Because of his longstanding interest in weather (he enjoys watching the Weather Channel!), Richard recently recorded public service announcements for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather radio network, the “voice” of the National Weather Service. Richard is also the “voice” for the Classic Country channel on Sirius Satellite Radio. He and his wife Donna have two daughters living at home, Lauren and Tori. He also has three older sons, Rich, Doug, and Chris, as well as six grandchildren.
4.28.06
T H E O A K R I D G E B O Y S
Discography
Gold … Platinum ... MULTI-PLATINUM …Over Thirty Million Records Sold!
Y'All Come Back Saloon * September, 1977 Room Service * May, 1978 Oak Ridge Boys Have Arrived * March, 1979 Together * March, 1980 Greatest Hits ** October, 1980 Fancy Free *** May, 1981 Bobbie Sue * February, 1982 Oak Ridge Boys Christmas * September, 1982 American Made * January, 1983 Greatest Hits Two ** July, 1984 Deliver * October, 1984 Step On Out March, 1985 Seasons March, 1986 Christmas Again September, 1986 Where The Fast Lane Ends February, 1987 Heartbeat September, 1987 Monongahela August, 1988 Greatest Hits Volume Three May, 1989 American Dreams September, 1989 Unstoppable April, 1991 Collection * April, 1992 The Long Haul June, 1992 Country Christmas Eve November, 1995 Revival March, 1997 Voices July, 1999 Millennium August, 2000 From The Heart May, 2001 An Inconvenient Christmas September, 2002 Colors May, 2003 The Journey July, 2004 Common Thread May, 2005 Christmas Cookies October, 2005 Definitive Collection August, 2006 Front Row Seats September, 2006
*Indicates Gold **Indicates Platinum ***Indicates Double Platinum
10.31.06
T H E O A K R I D G E B O Y SAWARDSListed by category in alphabetical and chronological order.
ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDSBest Vocal Group, 1977 Best Vocal Group, 1979 Best Album (Y’all Come Back Saloon), 1979 Single of the Year (Elvira), 1982
AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDSBest Country Music Video (Everyday), 1981 Country Group of the Year, 1982
BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICASilver Buffalo Award, 2001
COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION AWARDSVocal Group of the Year, 1978 Instrumental Group of the Year (Oaks Band), 1978 Single of the Year (Elvira), 1981 Instrumental Group of the Year (Oaks Band), 1986
GRAMMY AWARDSBest Vocal Performance by a Country Group or Duo (Elvira), 1982
MUSIC CITY NEWS FAN AWARDSBand of the Year (Oaks Band), 1978 Best Single of the Year (Elvira), 1982
TNN VIEWERS CHOICE AWARDSFavorite Group, 1988 Favorite Group, 1989
AMERICAN GUILD OF VARIETY ARTISTSBest Country Vocal Group of the Year, 1981 BILLBOARDBreakthrough Award, 1977 Number One Country Group, 1980 Number One Country Group/Singles, 1980 Number One Country Group/Albums, 1980 Bill Williams Memorial Award, 1981
BROADCAST MUSIC INCORPORATED (BMI) Most Performed Song of the Year (Elvira), 1981
CASHBOXCountry Vocal Group/Singles, 1978 Country Vocal Group/Singles, 1979 Country Vocal Group/Albums, 1979 Country Vocal Group/Singles, 1980 Country Vocal Group/Albums, 1981 Country Crossover Group Pop/Singles, 1981 Country Crossover Group Pop/Albums, 1981 Country Crossover Group Pop/Singles, 1983
DISC JOCKEY AWARDSGroup of the Year/Country, 1980
INTERNATIONAL ENTERTAINMENT BUYERS ASSOCIATIONLiving Legend Award, 2005
INTERNATIONAL FAN CLUB ORGANIZATIONTex Ritter Award, 1993
FAME AWARD Presented by the MENC (National Association for Music Education), 2006
JUKE BOX OPERATORS OF AMERICACountry Group of the Year, 1980 Song of the Year (Elvira), 1981
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR CAMPUS ACTIVITIESBest Major Country Performance, 1983 Best Major Country Performance, 1985 Best Major Country Performance, 1986
NATIONAL MUSIC COUNCILAmerican Eagle Award, 1997 NATIONAL COMMITTEE TO PREVENT CHILD ABUSENational Voice Award, 1997 PERFORMANCE MAGAZINE READERS POLLCountry Act of the Year, 1981 RADIO & RECORDS COUNTRY MUSIC POLLCountry Group of the Year, 1978-1980 Single of the Year (Elvira), 1981
RADIO PROGRAMMERS CHOICE AWARDSVocal Group of the Year, 1981
RECORD WORLDCountry Singles Award, 1977 Country Vocal Group/Singles 1978 Country Vocal Group/Albums 1978 Country Vocal Group/Singles 1980 Country Vocal Group/Albums 1980 Country Vocal Group/Albums 1981 Most Promising Male Group/Albums, 1981 Top Country Crossover Group, 1981
VOCAL GROUP HALL OF FAMEInducted, September 2001
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