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The Oak Ridge Boys

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Albums80
Songs178
About One of the longest-running groups in country music, the
Oak Ridge Boys started life as a gospel quartet before
gradually modernizing their style and moving into secular
country-pop. Yet even at the height of their popularity in the
late '70s and early '80s — when they were big enough to
cross over to the pop charts — their sound always remained
deeply rooted in country gospel harmony. Their existence
dates all the way back to World War II, circa 1942-1943,
when a Knoxville, TN, group began performing gospel songs
in nearby Oak Ridge, the home of an atomic bomb research
facility. The group's members also performed in a larger
aggregation called Wally Fowler & the Georgia Clodhoppers,
which recorded for Capitol. However, lead singer Fowler
decided to focus on gospel music in 1945.

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. 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 group, then Bob Weber-led Calvary Quartet, to
assume the Oak Ridge name. With a core of Fowler and
Weber, plus a revolving-door cast of supporting vocalists, the
group became one of the top draws on the Southern gospel
circuit, continuing up to the end of 1956.

At that point, Fowler disbanded the quartet and sold the
name to group member Smitty Gatlin, who organized a new
lineup in early 1957. 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. Future
mainstay William Lee Golden joined as the group's baritone
vocalist in 1964, and when Gatlin retired to become a full
-time minister two years later, the group, acting on Golden's
recommendation, hired ex-Southernairs singer Duane Allen
as his replacement on lead vocals. 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. 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 increasingly long-haired image. They even
won their first Grammy in 1970 for "Talk About the Good
Times."

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. In 1973, they recorded a single
with Johnny Cash and the Carter Family called "Praise the
Lord and Pass the Soup," which brought them their first
appearance on the country charts. In 1975, they opened a
series of tour dates for Roy Clark, whose manager was
highly impressed and encouraged them to try their hands at
secular country.

The Oak Ridge Boys signed with Columbia later that year
but found the initial transition a rough one: They split their
time between country and gospel, and without a strong
identity their sales dropped. The resulting financial problems
nearly forced them to disband, and a discouraged Columbia
gave up on them after the 1976 single "Family Reunion" barely charted, even though labelmate Paul Simon had taped
them to sing backup on his hit "Slip Slidin' Away."

Fortunately, they got another chance with MCA and scored
a breakout Top Five hit in 1977 with "Y'all Come Back
Saloon," the title song from their label debut. The follow-
up, "You're the One," reached number two, and their next
album, 1978's Room Service, gave them their first number
one hit in "I'll Be True to You" as well as two more Top Five
hits in "Cryin' Again" and "Come On In." Thus established as
country hit makers, the Oak Ridge Boys embarked on a run
of chart success that would last through the '80s.

Golden stopped cutting his hair and beard altogether, giving
the group a hugely recognizable visual signature as well.
They hit number one again in 1980 with "Trying to Love Two
Women," but it was the following year that would make them
a genuine phenomenon. Their recording of "Elvira," an
obscure, doo wop-style novelty song from the '60s, became a
major, Grammy-winning crossover smash. Not only did it hit
number one on the country charts, but it's infectious "oom-
pop-a-mow-mow" bass vocal hook boosted it into the Top
Five on the pop charts. It's accompanying album, Fancy Free,
became their first to top the country charts, not to mention
their biggest seller ever.

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. American Made's title track also topped the
charts in 1983, as did its follow-up, "Love Song." In early
1984 Deliver became their third number one country album,
and they landed two more number one singles that year
with "Everyday" and "I Guess It Never Hurts to Hurt
Sometimes." 1985 brought three number ones: "Little
Things," "Make My Life With You," and "Touch a Hand, Make
a Friend."

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.
They hit number one in 1987 ("It Takes a Little Rain," "This
Crazy Love"), 1988 ("Gonna Take a Lot of River"), and 1990
("No Matter How High"), giving them a total of 16 career
country chart-toppers (and 29 Top Ten hits).

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. He
was replaced by longtime backing-band guitarist Steve
Sanders and sued his former bandmates, eventually settling
out of court. In 1991, the Oak Ridge Boys parted ways with
MCA and signed with RCA, but after just two albums, it was
apparent that their commercial prime had passed, and the
relationship ended.

The group returned to traditional-style country gospel on
occasion during the '90s and continued to tour. 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, MO. Sadly, Sanders shot and killed himself in
1998. Fox, who moved on to run the group's publishing arm.

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