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Page last modified on August 07, 2009, at 06:13 PM EST
O.Oak Ridge Boys
The Oak Ridge Boys (1943-present) (AKA The Oak Ridge Quartet) HistoryOrigins The roots of the Oak Ridge Boys date back to a group originally known as Wally Fowler?’s Georgia Clodhoppers. The town of Oak Ridge, TN drew national attention after the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan in August 1945. Fowler, whose group had been popular in the area since 1943, subsequently re-named the group after the town. After the name change, they were known as the Oak Ridge Quartet, but they also referred to themselves as the “Oak Ridge Boys” dating back to the early 1950s. Starts and Restarts Over the next 20 years, more than 30 members passed through the group including Lon "Deacon" Freeman?, Calvin Newton?, Joe Allred, Cat Freeman, and a teen-aged Glen Allred who played guitar and sang baritone whenever Fowler didn’t appear with the group. Fowler actually started a group called the Oak Ridge Quartet at least four times. The 1943 group left Fowler en masse to form the Stone Mountain Quartet? around 1949. Fowler hired a new group right away to carry on the name. He sold the second group to Bob Weber? in 1952, but they folded a couple of years later. By 1956, Fowler had reclaimed the group name with a third lineup. Smitty Gatlin? was the group manager/lead singer and Ronnie Page? sang baritone with the 1956 group. The members of the third group secured ownership from Fowler in 1958 and with the addition of tenor Willie Wynn, bass Herman Harper?, and pianist Tommy Fairchild, they became one of the most popular quartets of the early 1960s. By this time, the group was known and marketed as the Oak Ridge Boys, so Fowler started a fourth group and again named it the Oak Ridge Quartet. A lawsuit filed by Gatlin and the other Oak Ridge Boys forced Fowler to stop using that name, though. Success in Gospel Music During the 1960s, the Oak Ridge Boys had their own television program geared for youth called It’s Happening. They also popularized a stage routine called “Go Out To The Program” which featured the Oaks mimicking the popular songs of other artists. (The routine was actually originated in 1953 by the Dixie Hummingbirds, a popular black gospel group.) In one skit, for example, tenor Willie Wynn and the Oaks would sing the song “Higher” in the style of Rose Carter Karnes? and the Chuck Wagon Gang. This was especially popular on multi-artist events, because the artist they were spoofing would often join them on stage to the delight of the crowd. The 1970s: Moving from Gospel to Secular Allen and Golden got to know Joe Bonsall and Richard Sterban in the late 1960s and early 1970s. When bass singer Noel Fox left the group in 1972, Sterban was hired as his replacement. He had been singing backup bass for JD Sumner And The Stamps Quartet and touring with Elvis Presley. Bonsall joined in 1973, replacing the 15-year veteran tenor Willie Wynn. The group continued to sing gospel music, but their increasingly progressive stage presence had begun to worry some promoters. Many fans were bothered as well. 200 people stood and marched out in protest when they performed in Roanoke, VA in 1975, an act the Oaks accused the Kingsmen Quartet of putting into motion, but the Kingsmen denied. Former Oaks baritone and Kingsmen member Jim Hamill was particularly outspoken about the direction the Oak Ridge Boys were going at this time, referring to them as a “night club act.” Florida Boys manager Les Beasley also went public with his criticism of the Oaks. While praising the image of the Statler Brothers, Beasley said they weren’t “Oak Ridge types.” Secular Successes A string of hits in the late 1970s and 1980s established the Oaks as one of Country music’s top vocal group. With novelty songs like “Elvira” and “Bobbie Sue” and a Gospel/Christmas/Country genre-crossing classic in “Thank God For Kids,” their popularity soared to new heights. Fancy Free (the album featuring "Elvira"), was eventually certified Double Platinum by the Recording Industry Associaton of America (meaning more than two million units were sold). "Thank God For Kids" appeared first on their holiday album titled Christmas, and later on numerous compilations of past Oak Ridge Boys hits. New Southern Gospel Recordings In 2001, the Oak Ridge Boys signed a recording contract with Spring Hill? and released From The Heart, a Southern Gospel album produced by Duane Allen and Michael Sykes?. This CD contained several new gospel songs in addition to classics like "Workin' On A Building" and "Angels Watching Over Me." With several Spring Hill recordings now under their belt, the Oaks have won their way into the hearts of gospel fans again. The group has also been featured on a number of Gaither Homecoming? videos in recent years and for several years, they had a daily concert show at the Grand Palace in Branson, MO. The Oaks released several thematic CDs while signed to the Spring Hill label, including two Christmas titles, a patriotic recording, a bluegrass project, and another all gospel CD titled Common Thread. A compilation of their Spring Hill recordings titled The Gospel Collection was released in 2008. In June 2008, their Southern Gospel single "Didn't It Rain" appeared on the Singing News monthly chart, acknowledging that DJs in the Southern Gospel industry were playing the song. At their concerts, the Oaks typically perform their past hits, a few new songs from their most recent recording, and a healthy dose of gospel selections. Commenting about their longevity on the concert touring circuit, Joe Bonsall sometimes remarks from the stage, "Alabama retired...the Statler Brothers retired...we bought a new bus." AwardsGMA Hall Of Fame (2000) DiscographyAlthough we have included a few titles in this discography by the Wally Fowler fronted group of the late 1950s and early 1960s, please understand that Fowler's final group should not be considered as part of the official time line of the Oak Ridge Quartet/Boys. Read the history above for more details. In the future, we will attempt to move these albums to a separate article. VideosTags |
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