Music

When Joe Bonsall was asked to join The Oak Ridge Boys in October 1973, he quit his leadership role with gospel group The Keystones and threw his lot in with the Oaks, not entirely certain how long a gig like that might last.

“I don’t know that I ever thought about it much, except for the fact that I love The Oak Ridge Boys and holy cow, they’ve offered me a job,” Bonsall reflects in 2023. “It was a big deal to me because I loved that group. They were a cutting-edge gospel group at that time.”

Fifty years later, it’s clear that Bonsall solidified his future. That particular lineup — Bonsall, Duane Allen, William Lee Golden and Richard Sterban — has anchored the Oaks for all but eight of those years, when the now-deceased Steve Sanders replaced Golden. The group transitioned from gospel to country in the mid-’70s, added crossover status to its efforts with the early-’80s hits “Elvira” and “Bobbie Sue,” and ultimately landed in the Country Music Hall of Fame. Bonsall is still the newest member of the quartet (Golden joined in ’65, Allen in ’66 and Sterban in ’72), but his blade-like tenor turned the Oaks’ blend into a sonic power tool.

“When we sing on a note, we’re not like barbershop harmony, which seems almost perfect harmony,” explains Allen. “When we sing, there’s an edge to it. Instead of harmonizing in perfect harmony, we’re more like four Peterbilt trucks headed right at you on an interstate highway.”

Over 30 years after their last top 10 Country Airplay single, 1991’s “Lucky Moon,” it’s easy to forget the power they exerted in another era of country. Their 1979 concert trek with headliners Kenny Rogers and Dottie West is considered the first full-fledged country arena tour, while their shows aggressively employed lighting technology and staging that were previously unseen in the genre, and their audacious mix of those big harmonies and singalong choruses created an unprecedented energy level.

“Now everybody uses the moving, computerized light system,” Bonsall reflects. “But back then, nobody’d seen it before, and I’ll tell you what: When we were out there singing on that stage with the lights moving and the smoke flying and the lasers hitting, that was big-time rock’n’roll.”

When the Oaks segued from gospel to country, they faced significant pushback. Country music already had a gospel-sounding group, The Statler Brothers, and record executives were generally nervous about bands — it’s more challenging to market a group concept than a single personality, and if the band breaks up, it instantly makes investments obsolete.

As the Oaks celebrate their 50-year anniversary, they have muted those fears of a split. But they also conquered some of the branding issues with their distinct collection of personalities. Sterban, with his dapper — sometimes trendy — wardrobe, is a sharp contrast with Golden, who sports a mountain-man image while standing next to Sterban in the group’s usual lineup. And Sterban’s basement tones occupy completely different turf from Bonsall’s high notes.

But that individualism allowed them to vary the set by simply swapping the lead role. With few exceptions, they kept their sound evolving during their peak commercial years because of the flexibility their voices provided.

“The Statler Brothers, they have one lead singer that had probably 90% or more of all the leads,” suggests Allen. “And Alabama — Randy [Owen] has about all of them, [like] most every group that’s ever come out of country. In fact, we had to fight with our label and producers to get leads for the other people from the very beginning, and we finally got leads on hits by everybody.”

The Oaks’ history predates all four present members. The group formed in East Tennessee in 1945 as the Oak Ridge Quartet, named after the town where the atomic bomb was engineered. The Quartet became Boys in 1962, and over time, more than 30 people have occupied a space in the lineup. Allen, after his induction, established a sideline label, Superior Records, and he signed The Keystones to a contract while both Sterban and Bonsall were members of that Northeastern group, which Allen produced. Sterban moved on to J.D. Sumner & The Stamps Quartet, performing behind Elvis Presley (he’s a backup singer on “Burning Love”) before joining the Oaks.

Manager Jim Halsey helped them advance from their gospel roots into mainstream country, and Johnny Cash, Roy Clark and Jimmy Dean gave them a boost during that period, too. As the lineup turns 50, it’s easy to take it for granted, and the band acknowledges that many of today’s country acts likely have no idea how the Oaks laid some of the groundwork for their careers.

But some do. Miranda Lambert has expressed appreciation. LOCASH’s Preston Brust was introduced to country by his mother’s passion for “Bobbie Sue.” Eric Church told Bonsall their recording of “Trying to Love Two Women” was one of his first favorite songs. Tim McGraw has recalled washing his car while listening to their first No. 1, “I’ll Be True to You.” And Toby Keith told them their 1980 single “Beautiful You” inspired him to pursue country music.

How long the Oaks will remain active is a lingering question. They’re looking ahead to new music, planning to record a family-themed album under the working title Mama’s Boys. But Bonsall, at 75, is the youngest member; the others are in their 80s, with Golden the oldest at 84. Bonsall and Sterban have had substitutes in recent years while they were hospitalized, and Bonsall has ongoing leg issues that have made him consider what’s next, particularly since all of them replaced someone else in the Oak Ridge roster. They haven’t really worked that out.

“I sat in the back of the bus with Duane Allen one day,” Bonsall recalls, “And I said, ‘Duane, what if I can’t do this anymore?’ And Duane said, ‘Then we go home.’ I like to think that it would still go on. But I don’t know for sure that it would.”

How long they can make it last is a question that the Oaks have continued to answer with a sense of urgency for 50 years.

Jason Isbell and Devon Gilfillian will lead a group of world-class singer-songwriters in joining forces to aid organizations working to raise awareness about gun violence in Tennessee.

On Aug. 15, Isbell, Gilfillian, Chris Housman, Julie Williams, Autumn Nicholas and The Kentucky Gentlemen will perform for Together in Action, a benefit concert set for City Winery in Nashville, and presented by Country Any Way and eQuality events.

The event will take place nearly four months after six people — three children and three adult staff members– were killed during a mass shooting at Nashville private school The Covenant School.

According to Everytown for Gun Safety, the state of Tennessee has the 10th-highest rate of gun deaths in the United States, with 1,385 people killed by guns in an average year in the state.

“In my efforts to change the landscape of country music, I’m realizing that a huge part of that is taking a close look at where we live and being vocal about the changes we’d like to see,” says Holly G, creator of Country Any Way and event organizer, as well as founder of The Black Opry organization. “Since becoming a resident in Tennessee, I’ve incorporated into my mission making sure that marginalized voices and the voices of people who want Tennessee to be an inclusive and safe space are heard. Music gives us such a beautiful platform for expression and creating community. I’m so excited that myself, eQuality events, and City Winery Nashville were able to pull together such an amazing group of artists to send a clear message that Tennesseans deserve a safe place to live.”

In April, Isbell and Gilfillian were among the musicians who signed a letter calling for Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and state lawmakers to enact meaningful gun reforms as part of the group Voices for a Safer Tennessee.

“Gun violence in Tennessee is not inevitable,” the group wrote. “We are not hopeless, and we will not accept inaction. This does not have to be our normal and we ask that you stand with us! We know that gun safety laws work. Policies like extreme risk protection laws and secure storage of firearms can save lives. And we ask that you keep your session open until these policies are put into place.”

Tickets for the event will go on sale July 19 at noon CT, with the City Winery member presale starting July 18 at noon CT. Tickets can be purchased at citywinery.com.