The Oak Ridge Boys

The Oak Ridge Boys are an American vocal quartet. The group consists of Duane Allen (lead), William Lee Golden (baritone) and Ben James, who replaced Joe Bonsall as tenor in December 2023. Allen, Bonsall, Golden, and Richard 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 band 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 country music in the mid-1970s. The Oak Ridge Boys became mainstream 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 five hit on the Billboard Hot 100.[edit]