Richard Sterban, the Oak Ridge Boys’ bass singer who memorably lent his vocals to their beloved “Elvira” cover, died Saturday. He was 83.
Sterban died in Hendersonville, Tennessee, due to complications from bronchitis and pneumonia after fighting a battle with cancer, his family and the Oak Ridge Boys announced.
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“We appreciate all of your love, support, and prayers. Please continue to lift us up in this difficult time, we find comfort knowing that he is currently face to face with Jesus,” Sterban’s family said in a statement.
Born on April 24, 1943, in Camden, New Jersey, Sterban began singing at 6 in Sunday school as a soprano. He sang tenor in his seventh-grade glee club, and upon his eighth grade, his voice dropped to bass.
He studied music at Trenton State College (modernly known as the College of New Jersey), and began singing in a gospel quartet where he met Joe Bonsall, his future Oak Ridge Boys bandmate.
While singing part-time, Sterban joined J.D. Sumner and the Stamps, whom Elvis Presley hired to sing behind him. He then sang and recorded with the King of Rock and Roll, and also appeared in the 1972 concert film Elvis on Tour.
Sterban was then offered the opportunity to join the Oak Ridge Boys after the departure of Noel Fox, which he accepted in 1972. Bonsall joined the group one year later, with Duane Allen, William Lee Golden and Sterban already in the group, which carried on as the faces of the band for five decades.
They performed with Johnny Cash, who helped them sign with Columbia Records in 1973, though it was after opening for Roy Clark in 1975 when they met his manger, Jim Halsey, who would later sign with the group.
They reached success with “Y’all Come Back Saloon,” which reached No. 3 on the country chart in 1977, and led to a string of hits. “I’ll Be True to You” became their first No. 1 song, though 1981’s “Elvira” would become one of their largest successes.
Originally recorded by Dallas Frazier, the Oak Ridge Boys’ version of the track went to No. 1 on the country chart and No. 5 on the pop chart, sold more than two million copies and won a Grammy. Sterban’s bass refrain was a major touchpoint on the song.
The Oak Ridge Boys went on to also become members of the Grand Ole Opry, the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Sterban released his memoir From Elvis to Elvira: My Life on Stage, written with Steven Robinson, in 2012.
Sterban is survived by his wife, Donna; his daughters, Lauren (Tyler) and Tori (Michael); his sons, Rich (Chele), Doug and Chris; his grandchildren, Mali (Zachary), Nikolas, Tyler (Ryann), Madelyn, Alexandra, Rex, Owen and Charli Grace; and his great-grandchildren, Salem, Asher and Theo. He was preceded in death by his mother, Victoria, brother, Joseph and grandson, Zachary.
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