The Oak Ridge Boys have been making music together for almost 60 years, and they are still going strong. Band member Duane Allen will celebrate his 57th anniversary with the group in April, a milestone he once never could have imagined he would achieve.
“When I was going to college, I got a degree and a teacher’s certificate,” the 79-year-old tells Forbes. “I taught so that I would have a fallback. Back when I was in school, people were not lasting that long in groups, or in the business, period. I never dreamed it would last this long. I’ve been with the group 57 years in April. We deal with our health problems, no matter what they are, and we have a few issues that men of age have. We’re like old used cars. During COVID-19, I got a lot of things fixed.”
One of the things Allen got fixed during the pandemic was a much-needed surgery on his foot, after injuring it 29 years ago while playing in a charity basketball game. Allen, who joins William Lee Golden, Richard Sterban and Joe Bonsall in the Oak Ridge Boys, believes he will know when it’s time to say farewell to the group, although he has no idea when that will be.
“When God tells me,” Allen says of knowing when it will be time to go. “I’m a praying man. I believe that God has a purpose for all of us. I don’t have to go to church to get His direction. He hears everything I’m saying, even right now. God made everything we see, hear and feel, therefore He’s always here. When He says it’s time, it’s time.”
All of The Oak Ridge Boys have been part of the group for a long time, including Sterban, who just celebrated his 50th anniversary as one of the members.
“It’s hard to believe that 50 years have passed,” Sterban told Everything Nash. “Over the last 50 years, so many great things have not just happened to me personally, but all four of The Oak Ridge Boys. We’ve been very fortunate. We’ve been very blessed. We’ve had such a great career. And the good thing about it is it’s not over yet. We still have plans for the future. And we plan to go in the studio next year and work on a new project with Dave Cobb. So we’re excited about that as well.”
The Oak Ridge Boys have plenty of dates scheduled in 2023. They will also perform on the Country Music Cruise later this month. Keep track of music and tour updates by visiting their website.
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