Harmony is Their Thing Oak Ridge Boys aren’t stopping now BY LAURA LATZKO With political divide and a pandemic, Oak Ridge Boys tenor Joe Bonsall says the public needs songs like their uplifting “Love, Light and Healing.” “A song like that is meaningful,” Bonsall says. “I think it’s meaningful at any time, but during this uncertainty, songs like that do give people a little hope and strength.” Midmonth, Oak Ridge Boys will make two appearances in the state: Friday, February 18, at the Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix, and Saturday, February 19, at the Fox Tucson Theatre. The country music quartet kicked off their career in the 1940s and have since produced music that spans genres. They’ve gathered 12 gold and three platinum albums. A double-platinum album is in their collection, as well as Grammy, Dove, CMA and ACM awards. Along with its hit song “Elvira,” Oak Ridge Boys are known for “Bobbie Sue,” “American Made,” “Thank God for Kids,” “Leaving Louisiana in the Broad Daylight,” “Sail Away,” “Dream On,” “I Guess It Never Hurts to Hurt Sometimes” and “Y’all Come Back Saloon.” Oak Ridge Boys have had the same lineup since the 1970s. Bonsall is joined by lead singer Duane Allen, bass singer Richard Sterban and baritone William Lee Golden. In March 2021, the group released the uplifting album “Front Porch Singin’,” produced by David Cobb of Lightning Rod Records. The collection includes the group’s rendition of “Swing Down Chariot,” sung a cappella accompanied only by a bassist. Although the album was recorded in August 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bonsall says Oak Ridge Boys captured the feel of sitting on the back porch, singing. “We went in there with very sparse instrumentation, a producer, an engineer and a couple of musicians in isolation rooms,” Bonsall says. www.LovinLife.com
Country’s Oak Ridge Boys are best known for their hit song “Elvira.” (Photo by Brandon Wood/IndieBling)
“No visitors, no hangers-on, no press, no family, no nothing. Just pretty much the four of us and Dave. The idea was to sing as if the four Oak Ridge Boys were just sitting on the front porch having fun singing old gospel songs, new gospel songs, old country songs, brand-new country songs. I think we were able to recreate it just fine. We were a little more distanced than we normally are and looking at each other all around in a circle, singing on the mics. “I think the reason the album came out so well was because it just felt so doggone good to be in the studio seeing each other, being with each other, singing songs in the heat of this pandemic and shutdown. It was very cathartic for us. If nobody else really appreciates this album, that’s OK. The four of us, we did that one for us. The fact that everybody is latching on and enjoying the attitude of the album, it’s an extra blessing.” Oak Ridge Boys were founded in Knoxville, Tennessee, as the Oak Ridge Quartet, a gospel group. They folded country music into that genre. Bonsall says the group’s harmonies developed from singing gospel music. “All of us are into harmony singing,” he says. “That’s our thing. The Oak Ridge Boys
sing harmony. We live in harmony, and we sing in harmony. We have never really had to work on that part. That comes naturally.” Throughout the years, the group has recorded with notable artists such as Kenny Rogers, Paul Simon, Brenda Lee, Johnny Cash, Ray Charles, Billy Ray Cyrus and Merle Haggard. Bonsall says the live shows reflect the Oak Ridge Boys’ evolution. “Our band is a real cutting-edge band,” Bonsall says. “They put a new take and a new twist on the old songs. They keep the integrity of the record, but they put a new spark to it.” Off because of COVID-19 from March 2020 to June 2021, the group is happy to have returned to the road to perform for those yearning for live music. “Hey man, it feels great to be on road singing,” Bonsall says. “That’s what we do. The Oak Ridge Boys sing. Even as old as we are, everybody’s feeling good, singing good.” Few groups have maintained the same lineup for 50 years. The key to a successful relationship is mutual respect. “Well, first it’s a matter of loving what we do, but there’s more to it than that. It’s a deeper river,” Bonsall says.
“The Oak Ridge Boys bring more history to our stage than any other act in the music industry. This group started back in the ’40s with the original Oak Ridge Quartet, and it survived through the ’50s with the name change to the Oak Ridge Boys. “Nobody wants to see this history end. So, everybody works hard to make the right decisions, to do the right things business-wise, to treat people right, to be honest, to put God first in our lives with our families and to get out there on stage and be the Oak Ridge Boys. That’s what we’ve always done. That’s what we still do. I’ll be honest to you. I sometimes don’t know how in the world we do it.”
MORE INFO
What: Oak Ridge Boys When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, February 18 Where: Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd Street, Phoenix Cost: Tickets start at $52 Info: 602-267-1600, celebritytheatre.com When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, February 19 Where: Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 W. Congress Street, Tucson Cost: Tickets start at $34.50 Info: 520-547-3040, foxtucson.com FEBRUARY 2022
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