Published by Cel Manero from Global One Media, Inc.
Richard Sterban Expresses Gratitude for 50 Years of Singing with Close Friends and Fans: “This is a Celebration, and We Hope to See You There.”
After an impressive five decades of making music, The Oak Ridge Boys have officially announced their farewell tour, titled “American Made: Farewell Tour.”
Speaking about the farewell tour, 84-year-old William Lee Golden shared his sentiments, saying, “When you’re saying farewell, there’s a lot of people you want to say farewell to. It’s all the people that supported you along the way, the ones that called the radio stations, the ones that came and bought tickets to see us sing, and sat in the rain with the rest of us while we were able to play and sing music. It’s a lot of emotions because we, as the Oak Ridge Boys, are a family. I mean, we spent more time through the years together as a family than we did with our own families.”
The Oak Ridge Boys, known for hits like “Elvira,” “American Made,” “Bobby Sue,” “Thank God For Kids,” “Y’all Comeback Saloon,” and “Leaving Louisiana in the Broad Daylight,” have left an indelible mark on country music.
The vocal group consists of William Lee Golden (joined in 1965), Duane Allen (1966), Richard Sterban (1972), and Joe Bonsall (1973). The Oaks boast an impressive record of 37 Top 20 country hits, along with twelve gold, three platinum, and one double-platinum album.
Duane Allen expressed his gratitude, saying, “For all of my career, I have always been a planner, sometimes planning two or three years in advance, what we will do, where we will go, and when we record. As we celebrate 50 years of being together, just as you see us, we will also begin our American Made: Farewell Tour. I don’t know how long the tour will last, but we hope to return to as many parts of the country as we can. Thank you so much for these 50 years.”
Joe Bonsall, who faced health challenges in 2022, shared his feelings about the farewell tour, mentioning, “My legs aren’t what they used to be — but I’m still singing good and feeling good, and I’m not in any pain. Richard has had a few small health issues, but he got by them fine. Dwayne is doing great, and Golden, he’s going to be 85 in January, and he’s got more energy than all of us put together.”
Richard Sterban expressed his gratitude and enthusiasm for the journey, stating, “I want to thank God for 50 years of singing with three of my best friends and for the fans who have been there for us. This is a celebration, and we hope to see you there.”
While there’s a sense of sadness about bidding farewell, William Lee Golden acknowledged the blessings of their long-lasting career, saying, “You feel so blessed because of your singing partners, the people that you’ve been able to travel with and sing with. The accomplishments that we’ve had together as four guys, regardless of our different backgrounds, coming together, and we each bring a uniqueness to the group with our contributions. It’s exciting to have been able to have survived this many years with the same lineup of singers and to be able to go out there and thank people. It’s going to be an emotional tour.”
