Oak Ridge Boys Coming To Lufkin, 5 Amazing Facts About The Group

Saturday, April 13, UBank is presenting its annual Good for Country Concert at the George H. Henderson, Jr. Expo Center in Lufkin. This year's featured entertainers are Dylan Scott and the Oak Ridge Boys.

Tickets are only $15 and proceeds benefit the East Texas Food Bank.

Dylan Scott

The Bastrop, Lousiana native has already notched four number 1 singles in his young career ("My Girl', "Nobody", "New Truck", and "Can't Have Mine"). His music has been streamed over 2 billion times.

Oak Ridge Boys

It's not often you get the opportunity to see an act that has already been inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. The Oak Ridge Boys had the first of numerous number 1 songs with "Y'all Come Back Saloon" in 1977. Their biggest hit of all time came in 1981 with "Elvira".

After 50+ years of singing and entertaining, the Oaks are in the midst of their American Made Farewell Tour. In 1981, Elvira debuted and it remains their most requested song.

A few days ago, I had a chance to do a video Teams call with Richard Sterban, the bass voice from the Oaks. You can watch the entire video below, but I learned some interesting things about the Oak Ridge Boys and Richard during that conversation.

Top Five Things I Learned About the Oak Ridge Boys

They Got Their Start in 1943

They got their start singing at a restricted military base located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. At first, they were called the Oak Ridge Quartet, but would change to the Oak Ridge Boys in the 1960s.

They shifted from Southern Gospel to Country in the 1970s.

Richard Sterban Toured With Elvis Presley

Richard was singing with JD Sumner and the Stamps Quartet when they got the call to be Elvis' background singers on tour. It was 1972, and Sterban was singing bass on the most popular tour in the world.

Sterban Said No to Elvis, and Yes to the Oak Ridge Boys

Not long after taking the gig with Elvis, Richard got a call from William Lee Golden from the Oak Ridge Boys asking him if he would join the group. Sterban said a lot of folks called him crazy for going with the Oaks, but it looks like everything worked out very well for him.

A Concert in Spokane Left No Doubt About the Power of "Elvira"

The Oak Ridge Boys had just wrapped up recording their next album around 1980, which included their version of "Elvira".  They decided to test the song during a concert in Spokane. The crowd went wild for the song and demanded several encores of "Elvira".

Richard Sterban's Favorite Oak Ridge Boys Song is NOT "Elvira"

"Elvira" is the group's signature song, and the Sterban's "Oom Pa Pa, Mow Mow" is the signature line from that song. But, a song written by Eddy Raven, and performed by William Lee Golden, "Thank God for Kids", is Sterban's favorite.