The Oak Ridge Boys' sales began to slow a bit in the latter half of the '80s, but they still produced big hits with regularity. The following year, the band also pegged Cobb to produce their eighth holiday set, Down Home Christmas. American Made's title track also topped the charts in 1983, as did its follow-up, "Love Song." Members of the Oak Ridge Boys arrive for a funeral service for former President George H.W. It’s one of the most recognizable voices in all of American music. At that point, Fowler disbanded the quartet and sold the name to group member Smitty Gatlin, who organized a new lineup in early 1957. Gospel Music,” changed the name of the Georgia Clodhoppers to the Oak Ridge Quartet, because the Knoxville, Tennessee, group performed regularly in nearby Oak Ridge. However, by that point, the group's longtime lineup had split -- Golden, whose mountain-man appearance was increasingly supported by his rugged lifestyle, was given the boot in 1987 in an attempt to remake the group's image. All proceeds raised by the 'Walk On By' singer's 80th Holiday Musical Birthday Celebration, which also sees participation of The Oak Ridge Boys, will benefit food charity Hunger Not Impossible. With bass singer Noel Fox and tenor singer Willie Wynn, the Oak Ridge Boys continued to broaden their appeal by adapting their sound to the times, adding a drummer to their backing band and incorporating bits of pop and even rock into their country-gospel style. Meanwhile, Sanders' marital problems worsened, causing him to leave the group in late 1995; Golden and the other members resolved their differences, and he returned at their New Year's Eve show that year; they still performed often, notably in Branson, Missouri. Embed oak-ridge-boys 4019 views 2020-10-22T09:10:00 The Oak Ridge Boys lead us in worship with the classic hymn ‘Hold To God's Unchanging Hand.’ These beautiful words remind us to trust in the Lord with all your heart. Fox and Wynn were replaced by Richard Sterban (ex-Keystone Quartet) and Philadelphia native Joe Bonsall in 1972 and 1973, respectively, and this lineup would remain intact for the next decade-and-a-half. Values: The red, white, and blue and Jesus Bonsall wasn’t particularly religious as a youngster, but an unplanned trip to a live Southern Gospel quartet performance near his home had a profound impact on his future. The group was founded in the 1940s as the Oak Ridge Quartet. Dubbed the Oak Ridge Quartet, the group first appeared at the Grand Ole Opry that year and made their first recordings in 1947 with a lineup of Fowler, Lon "Deacon" Freeman, Curly Kinsey, and Johnny New. In 1961, Gatlin changed their name to the Oak Ridge Boys, made them a full-time professional act, and started to modernize their sound on record with fuller arrangements and elements of country and folk. Read Full Biography. Golden joined in 1965, a year before Allen. They still perform nearly 150 shows annually, release new music, and their fan base continues to grow. Why don't libraries smell like bookstores? The Oak Ridge Boys have kept themselves busy in the years since “Elvira” hit it big. As a result, they grew into one of the most popular gospel acts of the late '60s, despite purist criticism over their secular influences and long-haired image. The group's members also performed in a larger aggregation called Wally Fowler & the Georgia Clodhoppers, who recorded for Capitol. Its accompanying album, Fancy Free, became their first to top the country charts, not to mention their biggest seller to date. The title cut of their chart-topping 1982 follow-up, Bobbie Sue, also went number one country and nearly made the pop Top Ten as well. The Oak Ridge Boys The Oak Ridge Boys are an American gospel and country vocal quartet. Richard Anthony Sterban (born April 24, 1943) is an American quartet bass singer. The group returned to traditional-style country gospel on occasion during the '90s and continued to tour. The Oak Ridge Boys were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2015. The Oak Ridge Boys, sometimes referred to as the Oaks, are an American country and gospel vocal quartet. Numerous personnel shifts ensued over the next few years, particularly in 1949 when the entire group split from Fowler; at that point, he hired a completely different band, the Bob Weber-led Calvary Quartet, to assume the Oak Ridge name. 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