William Lee Golden, Simone Golden, Richard Sterban, and Donna Sterban with the families of Lon “Deacon” Freeman and Wally Fowler at the Tennessee Music Pathways Oak Ridge Boys marker in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. (Photo by Jeremy Westby / 2911 Media).
The Oak Ridge Boys Continuing To Add Shows On Their Historic ‘American Made: Farewell Tour’
“The City of Oak Ridge is proud to partner with the Tennessee Department of Tourism to honor The Oak Ridge Boys at the historic Grove Theater. 80 years after they first performed here, we get to unveil this marker for Oak Ridgers and visitors to see for decades to come.” – Oak Ridge Mayor, Warren Gooch
“The Oak Ridge Boys have achieved enduring success and widespread acclaim, and it all started right here in Oak Ridge. It is an honor to recognize the group’s achievements and contributions to our state’s rich music heritage, as a part of the Tennessee Music Pathways.” – Commissioner Mark Ezell, Tennessee Dept of Tourist Development.
Pictured L-R: Richard Sterban, Duane Allen, William Lee Golden, Joe Bonsall. Photo by Brandon Wood / Indie Bling Studios
OAK RIDGE, Tenn. – GRAMMY® Award-winning and Country Music Hall of Fame members, The Oak Ridge Boys were honored by The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development with the unveiling of the “Tennessee Music Pathways” marker in Oak Ridge, Tennessee on Monday, November 20. William Lee Golden and Richard Sterban were in attendance representing The Oak Ridge Boys along with Tennessee Representative John Reagan, Oak Ridge Mayor, Warren Gooch, and family members of former Oak Ridge Boys’ Wally Fowler and Lon “Deacon” Freeman, both original members of The Oak Ridge Quartet. Oak Ridge Mayor, Warren Gooch also presented The Oak Ridge Boys with a key to the city and a proclamation honoring their contributions to the city.
“It was a very special day,” shares William Lee Golden. “Being part of this remarkable group is something I never take for granted. Our journey has been uniquely blessed and one that very few have had the opportunity to achieve. I am thankful to Duane Allen, Joe Bonsall, and Richard Sterban for their contributions to The Oak Ridge Boys, along with our band and co-workers. A special thank you to Gus Arrendale and Springer Mountain Farms for helping make this day possible!”
“I can’t think of anywhere I would rather have been than at the Grove Theater in Oak Ridge with the kind folks at The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development who worked so hard to design this marker,” expresses Richard Sterban. “The Oak Ridge Boys as a group goes back 80 years to the original members, Wally Fowler, Lon “Deacon” Freeman, Curly Kinsey, and Johnny New, and we have never forgotten them or their contributions. It has been a privilege to build on that.”
The Oak Ridge Boys are officially celebrating their 50th Anniversary this year and recently announced their American Made: Farewell Tour. The group, Duane Allen (1966), Joe Bonsall (1973), William Lee Golden (1965), and Richard Sterban (1972) shared the announcement with Billboard and People, as a way to celebrate with their fans.
The Oak Ridge Boys have received four Academy of Country Music, two American Music, five Billboard, four Country Music Association, five Grammy, and twelve Dove Awards, just to name a few. They are members of the Grand Ole Opry, the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, and the Country Music Hall of Fame. They have achieved seventeen #1 hits including “Leaving Louisiana In The Broad Daylight,” “Bobbie Sue,” “Trying To Love Two Women,” “(I’m Settin’)
Fancy Free,” “American Made,” and the unforgettable “Elvira.” With an astounding thirty-seven Top 20 country hits, and with twelve gold, three platinum, and one double-platinum album, The Oak Ridge Boys have made their mark in every facet of the gospel, pop, and country music industry.
In the early seventies, The Oak Ridge Boys continued to expand their cutting-edge style. After the addition of Richard Sterban in 1972 and Joe Bonsall in 1973, the Oaks were forever changed with a new direction, a new sound, and a new path. Their career stands alone with its legacy, its style, and its continued contributions to gospel and country music.
The Oak Ridge Boys Upcoming Tour Dates:
NOV 21 – Vern Riffe Center for the Arts / Portsmouth, Ohio
NOV 24 – Honeywell Center / Wabash, Ind.
NOV 25 – Paramount Theatre / Anderson, Ind.
NOV 26 – Midland Center for the Arts / Midland, Mich.
NOV 30 – Weldon Mills Theatre / Roanoke Rapids, N.C.
DEC 01 – Renfro Valley Barn Dance / Mount Vernon, Ky.
DEC 02 – Anderson Music Hall / Hiawassee, Ga.
DEC 07 – Firekeepers Casino / Battle Creek, Mich.
DEC 08 – Island Resort & Casino / Harris, Mich.
DEC 09 – Island Resort & Casino / Harris, Mich.
DEC 12 – Ryman Auditorium / Nashville, Tenn.
DEC 14 – The Carson Center / Paducah, Ky.
DEC 15 – Effingham Performance Center / Effingham, Ill.
DEC 16 – Crystal Grand Music Theatre / Wisconsin Dells, Wisc.
DEC 17 – Egyptian Theatre / Dekalb, Ill.
DEC 30 – Harlow’s Casino Resort & Spa / Greenville, Miss.
2024 Tour Dates:
JAN 20 – The Grand 1894 Opera House / Galveston, Texas
JAN 21 – The Grand 1894 Opera House / Galveston, Texas
FEB 02 – Boot Barn Hall / Gainesville, Ga.
FEB 29 – Florida Strawberry Festival / Plant City, Fla.
MAR 01 – The Alliance Center / Burlington, N.C.
MAR 03 – North Auditorium, University of North Alabama / Florence, Ala.
MAR 15 – Foxwoods Resort Casino – Great Cedar Showroom Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Reservation / Mashantucket, Conn.
MAR 16 – American Music Theatre / Lancaster, Pa.
MAR 17 – American Music Theatre / Lancaster, Pa.
MAR 23 – Sugar Creek Casino / Hinton, Okla.
APR 05 – City of Morganton Municipal Auditorium / Morganton, N.C.
APR 06 – Alabama Theatre / North Myrtle Beach, S.C.
APR 10 – Clay County Agricultural Fair / Green Cove Springs, Fla.
APR 13 – George H. Henderson Jr. Exposition Center / Lufkin, Texas
For The Oak Ridge Boys’ full tour schedule, visit HERE.
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About The Oak Ridge Boys:
The Oak Ridge Boys have sold over 41 million units worldwide and are synonymous with “America, apple pie, baseball, and country music.” In addition to their awards and accolades in the country music field, the Oaks have garnered five GRAMMY® Awards, nine GMA DOVE Awards, and two American Music Awards. The group, Duane Allen, Joe Bonsall, William Lee Golden, and Richard Sterban, members of the prestigious Country Music Hall of Fame (2015 Inductees) and the Grand Ole Opry (since 2011)—is known worldwide as one of recording history’s most extraordinary musical successes. They have charted single after single and album after album—gold, platinum, and double-platinum, and more than 30 Top 10 hits, including No. 1 chart-toppers “Elvira,” “Bobbie Sue,” “American Made,” and “Y’All Come Back Saloon,” among dozens more. For more information and to view upcoming tour dates for The Oak Ridge Boys, please visit oakridgeboys.com.
