A Gospel and Country Music Quartet whose influence on the music scene has spanned decades dating all the way back to World War 2, the Oak Ridge Boys are set to perform at Forney’s Spellman Amphitheater this Saturday, November 6, as the group wraps up this year’s Elvira 40 Tour.
The current four members of the Oak Ridge Boys, Duane Allen (lead), Joe Bonsall (tenor), William Lee Golden (baritone), and Richard Sterban (bass) have been performing together for the greater part of the last six decades. Producing music, performing, and touring together has brought these four musicians together through the years and made them “the best of friends”, according to Sterban.
The tour, which has been on the road since March of this year, is not only a tribute to the 40th anniversary of the group’s wildly popular 1981 hit Elvira but is also promoting the Oaks’ newest album, Front Porch Singin’. Richard Sterben, credits producer Dave Cobb for this latest release, which he says came about during the pandemic. “Dave said he wanted to create a feeling of four guys gathering on the front porch,” Sterben tells the Forney Messenger. And Front Porch Singin’ captures exactly that laid back feeling, like gathering with old friends at the end of a long day.
The hope of this album is not too different from the unofficial mission of the Oak Ridge Boys themselves: to promote a sense of love and happiness in the hearts of the listeners. “Live music is healing in a sense,” Sterben says. “We’ve always prided ourselves in doing music that helps people. We get to take [the audience] on a journey and help people escape their problems for an hour or hour and a half each night.” Sterben goes on to describe the kind of feedback they receive from their fans through social media, with occasional stories of people who have been experiencing difficult times in their lives but were uplifted and encouraged through the Oak Ridge Boys’ music.
This weekend, the Oak Ridge Boys will descend on Forney, Texas, and they are likely just as excited about it as are their awaiting fans. Despite producing music for more than half a century, these guys still look forward to performing as if it’s their first time. After an eerie calm in the music industry in 2020 amidst the pandemic, which caused the group to cease performing for a while, this year’s tour has reenergized each of these legends. “It’s something we love doing. It does not get old,” Sterben states matter-of-factly. “The love of what we do really keeps us going.” He also points to the response from the fans as a great motivator to keep that passion for performing alive.
Though the quartet has no plans to slow down now, already looking ahead to Christmas performances in Nashville this year and other events in the year to come, you won’t want to miss this opportunity to enjoy some Front Porch Singin’ with country music royalty right here in Forney, Texas. For information on the concert or to buy tickets, visit www. spellmanamp.com.
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