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Spotlight On The Oak Ridge
Boys
Concert photos and story by Glenda S.
Paradee
 The Oak Ridge Boys and The Mighty Oaks Band performed February
23, 2010 at the Valle del Oro RV Resort in Mesa, Arizona to two sold
out shows.
The Oak Ridge Boys, Joe Bonsall, William Lee
Golden, Richard Sterban and Duane Allen, started out singing their
new hit "The Boys Are Back" from their new CD of the same
title. And it sure was true, The Boys Are
Back.
They sounded and looked better than ever and they didn't
disappoint their fans. They never stopped singing their hits
from all the many years including, Y'all Come Back Saloon, Sail
Away, Dream On, Leaving Louisiana (In The Broad Daylight), Elvira,
Thank God For Kids, American Made, Love Song, Ozark Mountain
Jubilee, Touch A Hand, Make A Friend, Mama's Table, Boom Boom, and
my two favorites from the night was GI Joe and Beautiful
Bluebird. The crowd were on their feet clapping along to the
songs. It was a great concert and their band, The Mighty Oaks
Band, were fantastic. Definitely --- The Boys Are
Back!
Natalie Glaus-Dewitt opened
both shows and did a wonderful job on singing some Shania Twain
songs. The country music fans really enjoyed her
performance.
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Natalie
Glaus-Dewitt
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The Oak Ridge Boys
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The Oak Ridge Boys
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The Oak Ridge Boys
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The Oak Ridge Boys
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The Oak Ridge Boys
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The Oak Ridge Boys
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The Oak Ridge Boys
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Backstage with The Oak Ridge Boys
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Backstage with The Oak Ridge Boys
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Richard
Sterban, Glenda S. Paradee,
William Lee Golden,
Glenn Paradee,
Joe Bonsall, Freda Paradee, Duane
Allen
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Backstage with The Oak Ridge Boys
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Backstage with The Oak Ridge Boys
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Backstage with The Oak Ridge Boys
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Backstage with The Oak Ridge Boys
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Backstage with The Oak Ridge Boys
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Backstage with The Oak Ridge Boys
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Backstage with The Oak
Ridge Boys |
Backstage with The Oak Ridge Boys
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In 2000, the Oaks were inducted into the
Gospel Music Hall of Fame. The following year, they were
inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. Since signing with
Spring Hill, their recordings have earned three Dove Awards from the
Gospel Music Association. While recording The Boys Are Back
last year, The Oak Ridge Boys were presented with the Academy of
Country Muisc's top honor, its Pioneer Award. Just recently
the Oaks were nominated for Dove Awards in two
catagories:
Southern Gospel Recorded Song of the
Year
Song; album; artist; writer; label
"Because He Lives";
Gaither Vocal Band Reunited; Gaither Vocal Band; William J. Gaither,
Gloria Gaither; Gaither Music Group
"Born To Climb"; Expecting
Good Things; Jeff & Sheri Easter; Wayne Haun, Joel Lindsey; She
Loves Music
"If You Knew Him"; Almost Morning; The Perrys; Joseph
Habedank, Rodney Griffin; Daywind
"Life Goes On"; Life Goes On;
Talley Trio; Marty Funderburk, Gina Boe; Horizon
"Live With
Jesus"; The Boys Are Back; Oak Ridge Boys; Paul Kennerly; Spring
Hill Music Group
Long Form Music Video of the Year
Title;
artist; director; producer; production company; label (award given
to artist, director, producer if other than artist)
45 Days
(Documentary w/music); Demon Hunter; Cale Glendening; Don and Ryan
Clark; Solid State
A Gospel Journey; Oak Ridge Boys; Doug
Stuckey; Bill Gaither, Barry Jennings, Bill Carter; Gaither
Television Productions; Gaither Music Group
A New Hallelujah: The
Live Worship DVD; Michael W. Smith; Steve Gilreath; Steve Gilreath;
Reunion
Faith + Hope + Love; Hillsong Live; Luke Irvine,
Magdalene Phillips; Hillsong Music; Hillsong Music, Integrity
Music
Live At Oak Tree: Austins Bridge; Austins Bridge; Graham
Bustin; Paul Corley, Tre Corley, Norman Holland, Michael Turner,
Shannon Lancaster; Oak Tree Studios; Daywind
Live Revelations;
Third Day; Andy and Jon Erwin; Dan Atchison, Jonathan Erwin, Andrew
Erwin; Essential
More on the Oak Ridge Boys:
With their latest album, the evergreen Oak Ridge Boys prove that
they are not only enduring, they are evolving.
The Boys Are Back is a roots-music revelation wherein the veteran
quartet explores blues, country, Gospel and rock textures. Producer
David Cobb brought the group styles and songs it has never attempted
before, from John Lee Hooker's "Boom Boom" to Neil Young's
"Beautiful Bluebird," from Jamey Johnson's stone-country "Mama's
Table" to the blues classic "Troubl'in Mind." "Hold You in My Arms"
comes from pop star Ray Lamontagne. Country rebel Shooter Jennings
wrote the collection's title tune especially for the Oaks. "Live
with Jesus" and "You Ain't Gonna Blow My House Down" are Nashville
songs, while "Hold Me Closely" comes from Los Angeles. This album's
innovative repertoire is perhaps best illustrated by The Oak Ridge
Boys' striking version of The White Stripes' song "Seven Nation
Army."
 "We've been around so long," observes
the group's Duane Allen. "We really needed this infusion of new
energy."
"As a group, we thought it was time to do something different,"
adds bass singer Richard Sterban. "We wanted the chance to get
outside the box a little bit and go down some roads we haven't been
down before. We all felt that now was the time to give it a try.
It's turned out to be a very good thing."
"I think if you're going to stay around as long as us,
reinvention is absolutely, 100% necessary," says tenor Joe Bonsall.
"We're still out here, and we're still smokin' along because we've
got four guys who are always thinking ahead, looking forward."
"It's great after all these years that we still get to make
exciting new music," says baritone William Lee Golden. "I just feel
so blessed."
During their career, The Oak Ridge Boys have lent their
distinctive harmonies to recordings by a diverse list of artists
that includes Paul Simon, Johnny Cash, Ray Charles, Brenda Lee, Roy
Rogers and George Jones. The Boys Are Back came about because of
another such collaboration. In 2007, the Oaks recorded "Slow Train"
with Shooter Jennings for his CD The Wolf.
"Shooter called me," recalls Duane. "…I started telling him
stories about his dad, Waylon Jennings. He finally got around to
saying, ‘I've written this song. I wrote it for me and The Oak Ridge
Boys, and I would be so honored if you guys would record it with
me.' We did, and we had a ball with Shooter."
"A few months after we recorded ‘Slow Train' with Shooter, he was
doing a showcase at a Nashville club," Richard remembers. "So he
asked us if we would come. Of course, the place was packed with
kids, people a LOT younger than we would normally draw at this stage
of our career. They were standing and partying and screaming and
carrying on with him. We were backstage wondering, ‘How are they
going to accept us?' We came out and did ‘Slow Train,' and the place
went nuts. These kids were out there hollering and screaming. Then
we sang ‘Elvira' with Shooter's band, and the kids were actually
singing ‘Oom papa mow mow' along with me. I think that night was
when the idea to work with Shooter's producer David Cobb was born."
"We looked at each other and basically said, ‘We can do this,''"
adds Duane. "'We've got to find an avenue that will give us a chance
at getting to that hip, new, young audience that Shooter is
appealing to.' We realized we've got to do something completely
different. Sometimes you can get so old that you can become cool
again. Look at Tony Bennett or Johnny Cash."
The change in approach came easily to William Lee Golden, who
probably has the most eclectic musical tastes of the four. Duane
Allen, who has long been the Oaks' producer and its repertoire
scout, brought the song "You Ain't Gonna Blow My House Down" to the
table. Ironically, it came from the pen of Dallas Frazier, the man
who wrote the group's 1981 blockbuster "Elvira."
Back in those days, the Oaks maintained an office on Music Row
that was next door to the "outlaw" recording studio where Waylon
Jennings created his hits. In another bit of irony, their vocals for
The Boys Are Back were recorded in that very same studio. Shooter's
mom and Waylon's widow, Jessi Colter, lent her distinctive piano
playing to their rendition of "Hold Me Closely" in that room.
"We did the whole album in about two weeks," Duane reports. "We
went in every day and stayed until midnight or later. We worked out
all our parts and harmonies in the control room, singing together.
Then we went right out into the studio and cut it. So it's almost
like it has a ‘live' feeling."
For such an album to come from such a musical institution is
truly impressive. This quartet came together back in 1973 as a
Gospel group lauded as one of the industry's premier artists. The
Oak Ridge Boys outraged purists when they grew their hair long and
stopped wearing matching suits. Then they reinvented themselves as
country stars with 1977's "Y'All Come Back Saloon." A year later,
Paul Simon recruited the Oaks to sing on his million-selling pop
smash "Slip Slidin' Away."
"Leaving Louisiana in the Broad Daylight," "Trying to Love Two
Women," "Come on In" and other hits made the Oaks regular visitors
to the top of the country charts. Then "Elvira" and "Bobbie Sue"
took them to the pop hit parade as well. Meanwhile, they found time
to appear on such smashes as Brenda Lee's "Broken Trust" and George
Jones's "Same Old Me." Thanks to Oaks hits such as "American Made,"
"Ozark Mountain Jubilee," "Thank God for Kids" and their hit revival
of The Staple Singers' "Touch a Hand, Make a Friend," the group
racked up 10 Gold albums, two Platinum ones and a Double Platinum
collection between 1977 and 1987. The classic Oaks lineup of
Golden-Allen-Sterban-Bonsall also has four GRAMMY® Awards.
In 2000, the Oaks were inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of
Fame. The following year, they were inducted into the Vocal Group
Hall of Fame. Since signing with Spring Hill, their recordings have
earned three Dove Awards from the Gospel Music Association. While
recording The Boys Are Back last year, The Oak Ridge Boys were
presented with the Academy of Country Music's top honor, its Pioneer
Award.
"To be honest, I had mixed emotions," says William Lee. "On the
one hand, it was a great honor. But on the other hand, it felt like
you were graduating from high school. You're getting your diploma,
but you feel like you can't go back there anymore. It felt a little
like a door was closing. And at that very time was when we were
recording this album, and that was a door that was opening."
"We're doing a lot of these new songs in our stage show now,"
says Richard. "And it's amazing how well they're going over. We open
the show with ‘The Boys Are Back.' The first thing they hear out of
the chute every night is me. Then Golden comes out, and the
excitement builds as each guy comes out and adds to the song--Duane,
and then Joe comes flying out."
"This new music takes our whole show in another direction," says
Joe. "I'm pretty doggone pumped about it." He adds that the group
has also worked "Boom Boom," "Mama's Table," "Beautiful Bluebird,"
"Live with Jesus" and "I Want to Hold You in My Arms" into its sets
and that all are enthusiastically cheered. The Oaks presented their
new music, including "Seven Nation Army," at March's hipster confab
South By Southwest in Austin, Texas. Their show was taped for
repeated airing on Direct TV, which reaches 45 million households.
"We talk quite a bit about reinventing ourselves," comments
Richard. "Even after all these years, we still have that energy
level on stage. We don't quite jump as high as we used to, but
there's still an energy that is very noticeable. It's one of the
things that has kept us in the business for so long. People know
that when they pay their money to see The Oak Ridge Boys, they're
going to get their money's worth. There's still a spark that burns
within all of us that makes us want to go out there and do it. You
don't get tired of doing what you love to do. I think that's the
key."
"We're still getting to do our music," says Duane Allen. "I love
to do our show. We could have all retired years ago. We invested
pretty well. But retire to what? I'm already doing what I love to
do. I'm still honored to be here. And who knows? The stars might be
aligning for us again."
"I'm so thankful that I'm with a group who never tries to think
of a way to slow down," adds Joe Bonsall. "It's been a constant
journey. What we're coming out with is something new and fresh and
different, and I think this new project is a big cog in the wheel of
moving forward and reinventing. There's no way I could have
projected that 35 years down the road, we would still have a career.
"If you're doing something and you don't want to stop doing it,
that's called longevity. To me, it's still exciting to get on the
bus and go on a trip to sing. We hug each other when we get on. And
we enjoy each other. The whole attitude is, ‘Let's go sing.'"
"That's what started it all in the first place, our love of
singing," says William Lee Golden. "We have so much respect for each
other. We're very different in styles, but we respect what each one
of us brings to the group. We have this longevity because we do what
we love to do. We love to sing."
 Awards
Listed by category in alphabetical and
chronological order.
ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS
Best Vocal Group, 1977
Best
Vocal Group, 1979
Best Album (Y'all Come Back Saloon),
1979
Single of the Year (Elvira), 1982
Cliffie Stone Pioneer
Award (for lifetime achievement), 2008
AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS
Best Country Music Video (Everyday),
1981
Country Group of the Year, 1982
AMERICAN ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINE
Best Music Act, 2007
BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA
Silver Buffalo Award, 2001
COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION AWARDS
Vocal 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 AWARDS
Best Vocal Performance by a Country Group or Duo
(Elvira), 1982
MUSIC CITY NEWS FAN AWARDS
Band of the Year (Oaks Band),
1978
Best Single of the Year (Elvira), 1982
TNN VIEWERS CHOICE AWARDS
Favorite Group, 1988
Favorite
Group, 1989
AMERICAN GUILD OF VARIETY ARTISTS
Best Country Vocal Group of
the Year, 1981
BILLBOARD
Breakthrough 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
CASHBOX
Country 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 AWARDS
Group of the Year/Country, 1980
INTERNATIONAL ENTERTAINMENT BUYERS ASSC.
Living Legend Award,
2005
INTERNATIONAL FAN CLUB ORGANIZATION
Tex Ritter Award, 1993
FAME AWARD
Presented by the MENC (National Association for
Music Education), 2006
JUKE BOX OPERATORS OF AMERICA
Country Group of the Year,
1980
Song of the Year (Elvira), 1981
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR CAMPUS ACTIVITIES
Best Major Country
Performance, 1983
Best Major Country Performance, 1985
Best
Major Country Performance, 1986
NATIONAL MUSIC COUNCIL
American Eagle Award, 1997
NATIONAL COMMITTEE TO PREVENT CHILD ABUSE
National Voice
Award, 1997
PERFORMANCE MAGAZINE READERS POLL
Country Act of the Year,
1981
RADIO & RECORDS COUNTRY MUSIC POLL
Country Group of the
Year, 1978-1980
Single of the Year (Elvira), 1981
RADIO PROGRAMMERS CHOICE AWARDS
Vocal Group of the Year,
1981
RECORD WORLD
Country 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 FAME
Inducted, September 2001
GOSPEL
CHRISTIAN COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS
Mainstream Artist of the Year,
2004
DOVE AWARDS
Album of the Year, 1969
Album Jacket Design,
1969
Male Group of the Year, 1970
Album of the Year,
1972
Male Group of the Year, 1972
Album of the Year,
1973
Country Album of the Year, 2002
Country Recorded Song of
the Year, 2007
GOSPEL MUSIC HALL OF FAME
Inducted October 2000
GRAMMY AWARDS
Best Vocal Performance by a Group or Duo/Gospel,
1971-1979 (four awards)
INTERNATIONAL
BILLBOARD/WEMBLEY FESTIVAL OF COUNTRY MUSIC
Best Country
Group, 1975
COUNTRY RHYTHMS INTERNATIONAL FAN AWARDS
Best Country Group,
1982
KOUNTRY KORRAL MAGAZINE, SWEDEN
Number One Country Group,
1975
Number One Gospel Group, 1975
F.I.D.O.F (International music festival
organization)
Award of Excellence 05-06-08
Oak Ridge Boys to Receive Prestigious SGMG President's
Honor
SGMG Announces 2010 Harmony Honors Celebration
Concert
Judy Nelon, Southern Gospel Music Guild (SGMG)
President and on behalf of the SGMG Executive Board, announced The
Oak Ridge Boys as the 2010 recipients of the SGMG President's Honor
during the SGMG Harmony Honors at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel on
April 19, 2010. All four members of The Oak Ridge Boys - Duane
Allen, Joe Bonsall, William Lee Golden, and Richard Sterban – will
be in attendance to accept this honor.
"I fondly recall having the opportunity of presenting a Gospel
Music Award to the Oak Ridge Boys in Los Angeles, California in
1973. It just happened to have been Joe Bonsall's first week with
the group. Now, thirty-seven years later, it is such a privilege to
present the prestigious SGMG President's Honor to this same amazing
group, consisting of Duane Allen, William Lee Golden, Richard
Sterban and Joe Bonsall in recognition of their long successful
career and significant contributions to the field of southern gospel
music," says Nelon.
The Oak Ridge Boys continue to make new music and entertain
millions of fans. With numerous Gold and Platinum albums, they have
also enjoyed more than a dozen Number One singles and over 30 Top
Ten hits with over 30 million records sold throughout their
illustrious 40 year career. With talents that have long been
recognized by their peers, this Grammy Award winning group has also
received eight Dove Awards, four ACM Awards, four CMA Awards and are
members of the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. In 2009, the Oak Ridge
Boys released their acclaimed new album, The Boys Are Back on
SpringHill Records and they continue to perform (with a full touring
schedule) live nationwide throughout the year.
Founding member, Duane Allen commented on this great honor, "I
have always felt that it was a huge honor to be recognized by your
hometown or from one's roots. Gospel music is the foundation of The
Oak Ridge Boys' music, Southern style quartet music. I would like to
thank all of the former members of The Oak Ridge Boys' organization
for laying the groundwork for all of us, and to offer my deepest
gratitude to the SGMG for this wonderful honor."
The SGMG Harmony Honors Celebration Concert showcases artists
with outstanding accomplishments and award nominations over the past
year including Grammy, Dove and Singing News Awards, as well as
radio airplay and touring success. The top ten songs of the genre
are also recognized. The event will include performances by The Oak
Ridge Boys, Jason Crabb, Guy Penrod, Jeff & Sheri Easter, Karen
Peck & New River, Bowling Family, Gold City, Perrys, Blackwood
Brothers, Tribute Quartet and more.
The SGMG Harmony Honors Celebration Concert will be held on
Monday, April 19th at 7:00 pm (CST) in the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in
Nashville, Tennessee. The SGMG Celebration Concert is free and open
to the public.
You can check out The Oak Ridge Boys Website at www.oakridgeboys.com
Thanks for the Music!
Thanks For The Music! | 
