The Evolving Legacy of the Oak Ridge Boys From Gospel Roots to Country Stardom

Embark on a heartfelt journey through the decades as we pay homage to the Oak Ridge Boys and their incredible five-decade legacy. Feel the bittersweet emotion as we discuss Joe Bonsall's retirement due to health challenges and explore how Ben James' arrival as the new tenor heralds a fresh chapter for the beloved quartet. Witness the resilience of a band that has navigated transitions and triumphs, from William Lee Golden's iconic departure and return to the timeless sound of their country music transformation. As we share anecdotes and insights, you'll discover the enduring impact of these musical legends and the entrancing depth of Richard Sterban's bass vocals that have resonated across generations.

As the curtains begin to draw on the Oak Ridge Boys' illustrious career, join us in celebrating their extended farewell tour, set to span several years in a glorious crescendo of passion and performance. We'll reflect on the cherished moments that defined their journey, from the Kingsman Quartet's Jim Hamill's pivotal introduction to Johnny Cash's influential presence and Duane Allen's decisive embrace of country music. Weave through the narrative of their transition from gospel to country, culminating in the creation of anthems like "Elvira," and hear William Lee Golden's candid revelations from his book "Behind the Beard." This episode is not just a trip down memory lane, but a heartfelt salute to the indelible mark left by the Oak Ridge Boys on the tapestry of American music.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:11

Hello everyone and welcome to another podcast from Houston and Hogan. On a hot mic with Houston and Hogan, we tickled to death. You downloaded our show today. Dave, how you doing?

Speaker 2: 0:24

Doing fantastic and I'm glad we have a hot mic, because it's cold outside and this hot mic keeps us warm.

Speaker 1: 0:30

I'm so glad to have a job where we sit in a warm studio on a day like this, aren't?

Speaker 2: 0:35

you, yeah, when I was active in radio all those years, all those decades you still are I would drive down the highway and I would see some of these people that were working outdoors on a cold wintry day and I think, boy, I'm glad I got a job at radio.

Speaker 1: 0:57

Nice and warm. Inside Me too, buddy, me too I enjoy, still enjoy radio. I'm about to turn three, score and ten. Do the math through the little three score and ten. I'm not gonna say any numbers, we just leave it at that. I'm about to turn that ripe old.

Speaker 2: 1:17

Well, I've been there and done that.

Speaker 1: 1:20

You kept working too, and radio after you. Oh, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2: 1:26

I kept working longer than than most people because, well, we call it work, you know especially that's what they call it, but really it's what we've been doing all these years is not work. Did you see where Joe Bonsol is retiring from the Oak Ridge boys?

Speaker 1: 1:45

I did, and I did not read enough to find out why, and I knew well. Dave Hogan's got all the scoop on this.

Speaker 2: 1:53

Well, joe has a neurological problem that limits his mobility and in fact, from what I've read, he can no longer walk oh gosh without a great deal of assistance. So he's made the decision to retire from the Oak Ridge boys. After what? 50 years or so?

Speaker 1: 2:16

Wow, william Lee.

Speaker 2: 2:18

Golden and Joe Bonsol and Richard Sturban and Dwine Allen, the Oak Ridge boys that have performed for over 50 years very successfully, and of course, william Lee Golden you know the fellow with the long beard.

Speaker 1: 2:38

That's how you distinguish him, right.

Speaker 2: 2:39

Yeah, there's a story there because he left the Oak Ridge boys for a period of time about nine years and he left because the other three members voted him out that's the way William Lee put it because he didn't feel like with that beard, that long beard and the long hair, that he fit in with the group. Well, steve Sanders took his place and and did a good job and after about nine years Steve left the the group and they invited William Lee, golden beard and all to come back and they've continued their success and to this day the Oak Ridge boys sell out just about everywhere they play. They're still tremendously popular and Ben James is the name of the singer that's taking the the place of Joe Bonsol and singing the tenor, and I understand that he is excellent, an excellent choice. He's worked as a solo artist and also worked with Doy Lawson and Quicksilver doing the high lead and the tenor for Doy Lawson and Quicksilver.

Speaker 1: 4:06

They have some great harmony too, buddy.

Speaker 2: 4:09

And so we wish the Oak Ridge boys well as they continue their farewell tour, which they're on now. But according to William Lee Golden's autobiography, which came out a couple of years ago and I read, he says we're gonna do a farewell tour, but it may last five years. He says we still, the Oak Ridge boys, still enjoy to this day, after 50 plus years, we still enjoy singing, communicating with the audience. So we don't want to retire. If we retire, it'll be a forced retirement, which is what's happened to Joe Boncel.

Speaker 1: 4:53

Well, you and I can certainly relate to the fact that you still enjoy what you do, thus you working on into your 70s and radio, and me still doing radio, and I still get excited about it. I still look forward to going to work every day and that's what you're telling me. The Oak Ridge boys feel the same.

Speaker 2: 5:13

The Oak Ridge quartet was the original name. They got that name because during the time that Oak Ridge, tennessee, was developing, helping develop the atomic bomb that was used in Japan by the United States to end World War II, it was a very closed city and there's still a lot of security. I have a nephew who works at Oak Ridge now. There's still a lot of security. But at the time they were developing, working on the development of the bomb, it was really a closed city and and and there are several books you can pick up and read about what it was like in in the 40s, early 40s and mid 40s at Oak Ridge.

Speaker 2: 6:04

Well, they needed entertainment and so Wally Fowler, famous name in gospel music, had a quartet called the oak, had a quartet and I forget what they were called, but they became the Oak Ridge quartet because they would on a regular basis. They were invited to come and sing to the people who worked at Oak Ridge working on the development of the atomic bomb. So that's how the Oak Ridge name came about, because they sang at Oak Ridge, tennessee, at the facility where they were working in great security on the bomb. But after a few years, wally Fowler, I became a promoter and I remember I guess it was back in the early 90s when Wally died he drowned. He either drowned or his daughter said he may have had a heart attack. He was fishing on I can't remember the name of the lake that he was fishing near Nashville. But he became a promoter and we we've heard a lot about and some people remember the, what they call the all night sings the all night gospel quartet sings right and Wally Fowler promoted those down through the years.

Speaker 2: 7:27

But the Oak Ridge boy quartet became the Oak Ridge boys and gosh. A lot of people sang down through the years with the Oak Ridge boys Gary Mcspadden and Calvin Newton and many others. And William Lee Golden grew up in South Alabama not far from the Florida line and he is the one of the. He is the original Oak Ridge boy as we know them now as a country music group rather than a gospel group. But I remember Dwayne Allen lead singer, lead singer with the Oak Ridge boys coming to the studios at WSKY in Asheville. I was doing the Sunday morning gospel hem time program and I don't know if Dwayne was on a promotional tour or maybe the Oak Ridge boys were doing a performance in the area, but he came to WSKY, sat in with me for a while on the Sunday morning gospel hem time program and they were promoting a song and I think it was the day they baptized Jesse Taylor is the baptism of Jesse Taylor.

Speaker 2: 9:01

The baptism which became a hit for for who was it? Johnny Russel later on, yeah, but the Oak Ridge boys at that time had that song out. I believe that was the one. But anyway, what I'm getting to is the fact that at that moment the Oak Ridge boys at that time were considering going into country music and I remember Dwayne picking my brain about whether they would be accepted as country music artist and he pointed to the baptism of Jesse Taylor. He says you know, that song could be a hit on the country music charts and it was later on. Yeah, for Johnny Russel right, and Dwayne was. They were. They were in the the middle of whether to sing gospel music or sing some some secular music the Jim Hamill story I don't know if you've heard that or not.

Speaker 1: 10:04

I'd certainly know who Jim Hamill was. I, I and okay.

Speaker 2: 10:07

Jam at one time was a member of the Oak Ridge boys. I didn't know that. Yep. He at one time was a member and, of course, later on became for years a member of the Kingsman Quartet, the front person for them.

Speaker 1: 10:20

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 10:21

Out of a Asheville Well, there's a story about Jim Hamill and the Oak Ridge boys and how Jim Hamill the Jim Hamill story had a lot to do with the Oak Ridge boys finally making the decision to start singing country music. They were in a concert I can't remember where it was Kingsman Quartet was performing. The Oak Ridge boys were following the Kingsman at this gospel concert. Johnny Cash had hired the Oak Ridge boys to do backup for his show. At one time the Statenley brothers worked with Johnny Cash and they went out on their own and Johnny needed a backup group and he hired the Oak Ridge boys to sing backup for his show and one of the places they sang was in Las Vegas. When Johnny did his Johnny Cash show in Las Vegas.

Speaker 2: 11:22

Well, for whatever reason, jim Hamill, the front man for the Kingsman Quartet at this particular concert, made an issue of the fact that the Oak Ridge boys had been singing in Las Vegas at casinos. Why he did that I don't know and no one knows Right, but what happened? Jim Hamill said coming up, coming up here in a little bit we have the Oak Ridge boys and you know I hate to say this, but these boys been singing in casinos and bring the lights up here in the auditorium, because this is not a casino. This is not a casino. This is not a casino. It's a casino. This is not a casino. This is not a honky ton. And 300 approximately 300 people got up and left because Jim Hamill introduced the Oak Ridge boys that way and they were on the fence about whether to sing country music. And William Lee and Joe and Richard they wanted to sing country music Some of the record. People in Nashville were encouraged them to do that because they'd been successful as Johnny Cash backup group, but Dwine Allen was the holdout. Really, dwine wanted to continue to sing gospel music.

Speaker 2: 12:59

Well, when this happened, jim Hamill introduced them that way and made those comments and very critical comments about the fact that they sang in a casino with Johnny Cash, and some 300 people walked out on the Oak Ridge boys. Dwine Allen said that's it. You know, I don't care if we sing another gospel concert or not, as much as I love gospel music. If we're going to be treated that way, we'll just go sing country music. So that was a turning point in the career of the Oak Ridge boys and they recorded a couple of songs that were moderately successful and then got a hold of a song called the All Come Back Saloon.

Speaker 2: 13:42

Oh yeah, and it became a number one record and the rest is history. And the Oak Ridge boys are now members of the country music Hall of Fame and they're great people too. They're wonderful people, I don't know. I've met Dwine on several occasions and I read William Lee Goldin's autobiography, which I highly recommend, and he, it's a tell all book, if there ever was one. If you know you've heard the expression. Oh yeah, a tell all book.

Speaker 1: 14:15

Tell it all, tell it all.

Speaker 2: 14:16

He tells it all His history and the history of the Oak Ridge boys. And William Lee, as I mentioned earlier, is the fellow with the long beard and the name of his autobiography. His story is behind the beard. If you've a mile, if you like to read, you like to read history, like I do, and the story of how people get to where they are in life, read that book behind the beard. You can order it online. The autobiography of William Lee Golden of the Oak Ridge boys. The autobiography of William Lee Golden of the Oak Ridge boys.

Speaker 1: 14:53

I remember the time that you're talking about there. Uh, cause I got in country radio in about 69 and I remember the time that you're talking about when they were going through that transition and and how some of the uh heartline churches gave them a hard time about switching over to country music.

Speaker 2: 15:17

Um, well, johnny Cash and Jeremy Hamill, I guess, started were responsible. Johnny hired them to and, you know, making a living in gospel music is not easy, tough job. And the Oak Ridge boys had a full band. They didn't just have the four members of the quartet Right, they had good musicians. And when you have to divide the money up uh six or eight ways, then it's hard to uh make a living in gospel music as compared to what they could make in country music. And when they sang with Johnny Cash and did his back, uh, they did his backup work. Uh, that convinced them that they could have a career in country music. People liked them and Johnny would let them, you know, do a number or two as part of the show on their own. And so they saw the opportunity to expand what they were doing. But they left gospel music, don't get me wrong. And and William Lee Golden in that book he talks about how, to this day, that's his favorite music is gospel music.

Speaker 1: 16:31

Jesus is coming soon. That song, uh, I don't think any other gospel quartet fantastic Trouble sometimes are here filling men's hearts with fear. Freedom we all hold dear Now is that stay just a and okay, let's go through these members. Uh, uh, the bass singer, um Joe Bontal, uh, pardon me.

Speaker 2: 17:00

Richard Sturban, sturban yeah.

Speaker 1: 17:03

Uh, I was watching a video the other day of Elvis uh, a live recording of a concert, uh performance of Elvis Presley and uh, the camera would pan around on the stage to these various backup groups. You know he traveled with the sweet inspirations and and JD Sumner and the stamps quartet Right, and in this particular video and I've seen it in others too standing on that stage side by side with that JD Sumner and the stamps quartet, there would be five guys standing up there. Two of them are bass singers. They were JD Sumner and Richard Sturban, side by side. And when Elvis would say, you know, he, he loved bass singing. And when he would say, go like a jet, JD, uh.

Speaker 1: 17:56

Richard and JD would get together and really take that down low and rattle the speakers in an auditorium. Uh, richard Sturban is one of the best bass singers ever ever fantastic.

Speaker 2: 18:12

And you know, uh uh uh, country music artist or rock and roll artist, whatever genre of music you're in, if you can get that one song that everybody identifies with.

Speaker 1: 18:26

I know where you're going, Then you've got a you, you, you've got something to hang your hat on for many, many years.

Speaker 2: 18:34

And when the Oak Ridge boys came out with Elvira.

Speaker 1: 18:40

Elvira my heart's on fire for Elvira. Um pop, uh um pop um Mal. Mal um pop, uh um pop um pop um Mal.

Speaker 2: 18:51

Mal that song had been re. It was written by Dallas Frazier and Dallas had a recording of it, and One of the acquaintances of the Oak Ridge boys in the music business I don't remember if it was their producer or or somebody close to the Oak Ridge boys heard a bar band sing Elvira somewhere in Texas, right At a at a music venue, a small music venue, a honky tonk.

Speaker 2: 19:25

Yeah, okay, a honky tonk, okay. They this bar band, as he called it sang Elvira. And he thought to himself, boy, the Oak Ridge boys could do that song. So they had a recording session shortly thereafter and decided to record it. You know, there's has had no idea it would be become what it became and when Elvira came out, a lot of people connected with the Oak Ridge boys because of that song. Oh yeah, and the and that still their their signature song. They close out their program with Elvira and get a bunch of. On course, of course.

Speaker 1: 20:05

Well now, uh, let's talk about. I mean, they're still, they're going to be continuing to tour with this new tenor singer, right, Right, Exactly. Uh, I taught someone in my circle I cannot for the life of me remember who it was Just recently told me about hiring the Oak Ridge boys to come do a private concert for the uh, a birthday party or a wedding or a retirement or something, Uh, and, and I was kind of surprised to hear that the Oaks are still touring, but they are, yeah.

Speaker 2: 20:39

They're still touring and playing some large venues but they also uh are very popular on I guess you would call it the convention circuit Uh, where these large yeah Companies have a get together and the Oak Ridge boys are very popular in uh in in in that uh venue. They're hired for a lot of concerts, for private uh events. But you know, my favorite I guess of the Oak Ridge boys song is one that William Lee Golden sings the lead on and it's called Thank God for kids.

Speaker 1: 21:17

Oh my, we played that at Christmas time a whole lot. I played this morning as our uh patriotic song of the day that I do every morning. I played my baby is American made.

Speaker 2: 21:30

Uh, american made by the Oak Ridge boys yeah.

Speaker 1: 21:34

Leaving Louisiana in the broad daylight. Bobby Sue, bob, bob, bob, bobby Sue, and I'll be true to you. And here's one of their. Uh, I just Googled up and it said Oak Ridge boys hit songs. Um, one of those that popped up in that was just a little talk with Jesus.

Speaker 2: 21:53

Makes it right.

Speaker 1: 21:54

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 21:55

They still love gospel music and still include some gospel music in their programs.

Speaker 1: 22:00

But it was a, it was a uh, tough decision for them to make.

Speaker 2: 22:07

And one reason that they made the decision you know, when men started wearing their hair a little longer in very conservative Christian circles, that was a no-no. Exactly that was a no-no. They're imitating the Beatles. You know there was a lot of criticism.

Speaker 1: 22:28

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 22:29

And the Oak Ridge boys kind of grew their hair a little long, but now it would be commonplace. Yeah, you know, they're wearing their hair on your head. Now I can't use my head as an example. What do you call yourself?

Speaker 1: 22:48

I remember when we used to work together at Wise and I'd forget to tell you something that was going on and you'd say they treat me like a bald headed stepchild around here.

Speaker 2: 23:00

But I think the people listening to this podcast get the point. For if you were around during the I guess the 70s, I guess that's when that happened Early 70s Okay. When men started wearing their hair longer. Well, the Oak Ridge boys were kind of in the forefront of that and they got a lot of criticism over that.

Speaker 1: 23:20

When did they make that change from gospel to country?

Speaker 2: 23:24

I would say don't quote me on this, but I'd say it's about 73 somewhere in that time frame.

Speaker 2: 23:32

I may. I may be able to pull up exactly here in a moment, but the group was founded in 1943 as the Oak Ridge quartet doing Southern gospel music into the 50s and in the 60s. And it says here in one of the biography pieces about the Oak Ridge boys that they changed their image and concentrated on country music in the mid 70s. I was thinking about 73 is the time that they were in that time frame where they were transitioning and you know, are we going to sing country or we're going to sing gospel? We're going to sing country, we're going to sing gospel and do what? And pop, they could do it all.

Speaker 1: 24:21

Yeah, yeah, one to me is one of the nicest guys. Have talked to him several times and he you mentioned that he visited you at WSKY. He visited us over at 570 WNC, wrote notes to us when you know when we would, he would have a new song out or something. You'd get a handwritten note from Dwayne Allen that says thank you for playing my song, thank you for supporting the Oak Ridge boys, and you could tell that it was not some kind of mass manufactured letter, it was a personal note from Dwayne Allen, very astute at promotion and being out front and taking care of business. Tcb is Elvis called it, by the way.

Speaker 2: 25:11

They started that farewell tour in September of 2023. Just a few months ago. But, like William Lee Golden said, it is farewell tour may last five years because we love what we're doing. But unfortunately Joe Bonsol, as we mentioned, is retiring because of health reasons. But the other guys are still going strong and Ben James, who toured with Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver as well as daily and Vincent, has taken Joe Bonsol's position for the remainder of the farewell tour.

Speaker 1: 25:57

Dave, thank you so much for keeping us up to date on the Oak Ridge boys and thank you so much for downloading our Hot Mike with Houston and Hogan podcast. We'll be back in just a little bit with more news from the world of our radio careers here on Hot Mike with Houston and Hogan.