Grammy award winning band The Oak Ridge Boys had the honor of participating in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s recent tribute concert for Johnny Cash in Cleveland.
According to the group’s website, Johnny Cash was an early mentor. As far back as 1974 he lent his support to the band and included them in his shows.
Each year the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame holds a week-long Music Masters Series to recognize the achievements of seminal music pioneers. This year’s 21st annual music series honored The Man in Black with a lineup of premier performers including Ira Dean, Paul Cauthen, and Sam Bush. Cash’s son John Carter Cash was the executive bandleader.
The inaugural Music Masters series in 1996 honored Woody Guthrie, and past honorees include Fats Domino and Aretha Franklin.
It’s not hard to imagine the inimitable Oak Ridge Boys receiving this prestigious honor in the future! Is there anyone alive who has not sung along to at least one of this band’s distinctive hits like, “Elvira,” “Bobbie Sue,” or “American Made?”
The Oak Ridge Boys’ current lineup, William Lee Golden, Duane Allen, Richard Sterban and Joe Bonsall have been making music together since 1973. They have won five Grammy Awards, sold over 40 million albums and are members of the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Luckily for their fans, the quartet shows no signs of slowing down after 43 years of making music together.
When I go on stage, I get the same feeling I had the first time I sang with The Oak Ridge Boys,” says lead singer Duane Allen, “This is the only job I’ve ever wanted to have.”
For more information on the band, including tour dates, be sure to visit www.oakridgeboys.com or follow them on Facebook and Twitter!
Written by Tanya Clark
