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PARSONS —
The Oak Ridge Boys have been pumping out hits for four decades and show no signs of slowing down.
Along with scoring 12 gold, three platinum and one double platinum album, a double platinum single and more than a dozen national No. 1 hits and over 30 Top Ten hits, the Oaks also maintain a busy tour schedule, playing around 150 dates a year at packed theaters and auditoriums across the nation.
One of their next appearances will be at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Parsons Municipal Auditorium.
“I know we’ve done our Christmas show in Pittsburg, but I don’t remember that we’ve ever been in Parsons before,” said Richard Sterban, during a telephone interview.
New Jersey native Sterban, who joined the group in 1972, sings bass, and contributes his unique vocals every time the Oak Ridge Boys perform their smash hit “Elvira.”
‘We will include some of our new songs in Parsons, but we also feel people want to hear the songs that made us famous,” Sterban said.
That includes “Elvira,” of course. He admits that there might be some kind of riot if the Oaks showed up somewhere to perform and didn’t do “Elvira.”
Still, audiences are responding well to their new music.
“About three years ago we did ‘The Boys Are Back,’ and our young producer, Dave Cobb, took us down some roads we’d never traveled before,” Sterban said. “That song ‘Seven Nation Army’ got us more attention than anything we’d done in a long time.”
In 2011, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store asked the Oaks to record an album including previously recorded songs and new material. The result, “It’s Only Natural,” has seven re-recorded hits and five new songs.
“’It’s Only Natural,’ which is available only at Cracker Barrel, has been our most successful CD in years,” Sterban said. “In the last month we’re released ‘Back Home Again’ which is primarily gospel and some very cool classic country, and was produced by Ben Isaacs.”
He added that the title song “Back Home Again” is an old John Denver song.
There will be more CDs and more tours.
“Our Christmas concert tour is the biggest thing we do,” Sterban said. “Periodically we go in studios and reinvent ourselves and that puts new life and energy in our show. I think that helps account for our longevity. But we stay true to who we are.”
That includes staying true to their musical routes and to the men that they were raised to be.
The Oak Ridge Boys have been pumping out hits for four decades and show no signs of slowing down.
Along with scoring 12 gold, three platinum and one double platinum album, a double platinum single and more than a dozen national No. 1 hits and over 30 Top Ten hits, the Oaks also maintain a busy tour schedule, playing around 150 dates a year at packed theaters and auditoriums across the nation.
One of their next appearances will be at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Parsons Municipal Auditorium.
“I know we’ve done our Christmas show in Pittsburg, but I don’t remember that we’ve ever been in Parsons before,” said Richard Sterban, during a telephone interview.
New Jersey native Sterban, who joined the group in 1972, sings bass, and contributes his unique vocals every time the Oak Ridge Boys perform their smash hit “Elvira.”
‘We will include some of our new songs in Parsons, but we also feel people want to hear the songs that made us famous,” Sterban said.
That includes “Elvira,” of course. He admits that there might be some kind of riot if the Oaks showed up somewhere to perform and didn’t do “Elvira.”
Still, audiences are responding well to their new music.
“About three years ago we did ‘The Boys Are Back,’ and our young producer, Dave Cobb, took us down some roads we’d never traveled before,” Sterban said. “That song ‘Seven Nation Army’ got us more attention than anything we’d done in a long time.”
In 2011, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store asked the Oaks to record an album including previously recorded songs and new material. The result, “It’s Only Natural,” has seven re-recorded hits and five new songs.
“’It’s Only Natural,’ which is available only at Cracker Barrel, has been our most successful CD in years,” Sterban said. “In the last month we’re released ‘Back Home Again’ which is primarily gospel and some very cool classic country, and was produced by Ben Isaacs.”
He added that the title song “Back Home Again” is an old John Denver song.
There will be more CDs and more tours.
“Our Christmas concert tour is the biggest thing we do,” Sterban said. “Periodically we go in studios and reinvent ourselves and that puts new life and energy in our show. I think that helps account for our longevity. But we stay true to who we are.”
That includes staying true to their musical routes and to the men that they were raised to be.
Sterban said that he and band mates Duane Allen, Joe Bonsall and William Lee Golden were all raised in strong Christian homes.
“We believe that if you are successful in life, along with that comes responsibility to help people who are not as successful,” he said.
So, in addition to the numerous Country Music Association Awards, American Music Awards, Billboard Awards, Grammys, Christian Country Music Awards and Dove Awards, the Oaks have been honored for their charitable works as well. That includes a Silver Buffalo Award from the Boy Scouts of America, and honors for their work to benefit Feed the Children and Save the Children.
The Oaks have also been involved in efforts to put music back into schools across the nation, another cause dear to their hearts.
On a personal note, Sterban has a boo, “From Elvis to Elvira,” coming out on Aug. 1, which includes the time he spent singing and recording with Elvis Presley. He left when he was invited to become bass singer with the Oaks.
“I thought the group had a lot of potential,” Sterban said.
A lot of that potential has been achieved, but Sterban and the others think there’s still more for them to do.
“We plan not to go away and do not plan to retire any time soon,” he said. “We’re still having fun at what we do.”
Anyone interested in tickets for their Parsons performance may call 620-421-7032 or go to ParsonsAuditorium.com.
