In February, 1981, the Oak Ridge Boys decided to work a new song into their set list at a show in Spokane, Wash. That decision changed their lives forever.
"We threw 'Elvira' into the middle of the show and didn't say anything about it," bass singer Richard Sterban said. "People went crazy. We had to encore that thing three or four times. At the end of the show, we had to encore it again. People couldn't get enough of it, and that continued every night on our tour."
By that point, Sterban, Duane Allen, Joe Bonsall, and William Lee Golden already made the transition from being a gospel quartet to a mainstream country act with a number of hits, including "Y'All Come Back Saloon," "I'll Be True to You," and "Trying to Love Two Women." But "Elvira" turned them into a household name, and to this day, it's still the largest single selling record ever recorded in Nashville.
"Here we are celebrating 30 years of 'Elvira.' If you asked any of the four of us 30 years ago if we'd still be singing 'Elvira' -- or still be having a career -- I don't think we'd believe it. But still here we are," Sterban said.
In recent years, the Oaks have maintained their popularity, mostly because of their annual Christmas tour, which stops Monday night at the Stranahan Theater.
"The thing that's really cool about the Christmas show is that you're really getting two shows in one," Sterban said. "We come out in the beginning and do 45 minutes of hits, including 'Elvira,' and some new music. Then we take an intermission before coming back and covering every aspect of Christmas -- the romantic side, the fun side. We end the show with the sacred part and talk about the true meaning of Christmas -- the birth of Jesus Christ."
In that second half, the four longtime friends will climb into rocking chairs in front of a fire and discuss childhood Christmas memories. The rocking chair theme is courtesy of tour sponsor Cracker Barrel, which is where the Oaks' newest album, "It's Only Natural," can be purchased. Fans will get to hear a sampling of some of the new material on Monday night.
But mostly the night will be about Christmas and a celebration of the group's catalog of hits. For Sterban, those hits have been compiled over almost 40 years, ever since that day in 1972 when Allen called to ask him to come aboard.
"At the time I was singing with J.D. Sumner and the Stamps Quartet, backing up Elvis. Elvis was a big deal back then and probably had the biggest tour in the music business," Sterban said. "But I was standing in the background -- oohhing and aaahhing in the dark. No one knew who I was. While it was cool to be part of that big tour, I welcomed the chance to join the Oak Ridge Boys. I think history has shown I made a good decision."
Over the years, the Oaks have played for U.S. presidents, taken rides on Air Force One, traveled the world, sold more than 20 million albums, and performed for millions of fans. But for Sterban, one of his biggest thrills came in August when the group was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry.
Jimmy Dickens officially inducted them and President George H.W. Bush congratulated them by video, telling the Opry crowd that he ran outside "like a little kid" when he heard the group singing "Elvira" on the White House lawn during a visit in the late '80s.
"When people now refer to us as stars of the Grand Ole Opry, that has a great ring to it," Sterban said.
The Oak Ridge Boys will be in concert at the Stranahan Theater on Monday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $36.50 and $43.50 and can be purchased at the box office, on online at ticketmaster.com, or by calling 419-381-8851 or 800-745-3000.
Contact Brian Dugger at bdugger@theblade.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DuggerCountry.
First Published December 14, 2011, 5:00 a.m.
