The Oak Ridge Boys

The Oak Ridge Boys
The Oak Ridge Boys in 2024 (from left to right: Ben James, Duane Allen, William Lee Golden, and Richard Sterban)
Background information
Also known asWally Fowler and the Georgia Clodhoppers, The Oak Ridge Quartet
OriginOak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.
GenresCountry, Pop, Gospel
Years active1943–present
Members
Past members
  • Curly Kinsey
  • Lon Freeman
  • Wally Fowler
  • Johnny New
  • Monroe (Curley) Blaylock
  • Bob Weber
  • Pat Patterson
  • Joe Allred
  • Bob Prather
  • Carlos Cook
  • Calvin Newton
  • Cat Freeman
  • Les Roberson
  • Ron Page
  • Bill Smith
  • Ronnie Page
  • Smitty Gatlin
  • Hobert Evans
  • Bobby Clark
  • Tommy Fairchild
  • Herman Harper
  • James Metz
  • Willie Wynn
  • Gary McSpadden
  • Jim Hamill
  • Noel Fox
  • Joe Bonsall
  • Steve Sanders
Websitewww.oakridgeboys.com

The Oak Ridge Boys are an American vocal quartet. The group consists of Duane Allen (lead), William Lee Golden (baritone), Richard Sterban (bass), and Ben James, who replaced Joe Bonsall as tenor in December of 2023. Allen, Bonsall, Golden, and Sterban comprised the group's longest-lasting lineup, from 1973 until 2023, except for the period between 1987 and 1995 when Golden was replaced by Steve Sanders.

The act was founded in 1943 as Wally Fowler and the Georgia Clodhoppers, but were soon known as The Oak Ridge Quartet. They became popular in Southern gospel in the 1950s and their name was changed to Oak Ridge Boys in the 1960s. They moved from traditional southern gospel to contemporary gospel before going into popular music in the mid-1970s.

The Oak Ridge Boys finally broke through in the late 1970s, including their appearance on "Slip Slidin' Away" with Paul Simon, and reached their commercial peak in 1981 with their cover of "Elvira", a Top 5 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

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