The Oak Ridge Boys will be missing Richard Sterban this weekend, as he deals with an injured hand. The renowned bass singer will be replaced by Arron Lee McCune for this weekend’s shows, as Sterban was advised to rest his hand.
The Oak Ridge Boys announced the news on social media.
Our @RASterban is having issues with his injured hand … he is staying home this weekend under Doctors orders … our brother, the great Arron Lee McCune will be singing bass with us @SandlerCenter and @McGregorHallPAC pic.twitter.com/k1gFQYFLgJ
— The Oak Ridge Boys (@oakridgeboys) January 27, 2023
Sterban has been with The Oak Ridge Boys for 50 years, leaving his gig with Elvis Presley to join the quartet.
“Sometimes you wonder; you look back over your life and you wonder where has all the time gone,” Sterban tells Everything Nash. “But, it was kind of an interesting thing in 1972. I was singing in a group called J.D. Sumner and the Stamps Quartet. And I was actually singing with the King of Rock and Roll, the biggest star in the world back then, Elvis, and that was a very special time. It really was. I have some great memories of the times I spent with Elvis. I got to know him just a little bit. And now that many years have passed and I look back on that. I’m so glad I was able to experience that.”
It was William Lee Golden who reached out to Sterban and asked him to join The Oak Ridge Boys. Although it may not have seemed logical at the time, Sterban knew he wanted to be part of the iconic group, and made the switch.
“While I was with Elvis, apparently on top of the world, one day I got a phone call from William Lee Golden of the Oak Ridge Boys,” Sterban recalls. “He’s the guy in our group, as you probably know, with the long beard. He’s probably the most recognizable member of the Oak Ridge Boys back then. He did not have that long beard. He was Mr. GQ back then, but he called me and he said that the bass singer in the Oak Ridge Boys was leaving, and the Oak Ridge Boys wanted to know if I would be interested in taking the job.
“So here I was apparently on top of the world singing with Elvis, but I had to make a decision,” he continues. “And I had to admit, at the same time, I was a big fan of the Oak Ridge Boys. I loved the music that they were making, and I collected their records. I felt like the group had a great deal of potential and I really wanted to be a part of it.”
The Oak Ridge Boys kicked off the Country Music Cruise on Sunday, January 22, where Sterban performed, albeit with some discomfort. The group will perform this weekend in Virginia and North Carolina. Keep track of tour updates at OakRidgeBoys.com.
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