After more than 40 years of success, the Oak Ridge Boys said they still have no plans to slow down and will be playing cherished hits, gospel and some new music at their upcoming concert in Eldon.
The fall concert series, starting at 5 p.m. Sept. 23 at Shawnee Bluff Winery and Vineyard, is part of the Oak Ridge Boys' celebration tour and one bass singer Richard Sterban said the group enjoys coming back to year after year.
"It's just a great place to perform and it's a great situation, and the people there take such good care of us and make us feel at home," Sterban said. "We're very comfortable there, and when you feel good about a place that you're playing it makes it easier to get on stage and do our job. We love doing what we do, and that's why we've been around so long. I can say for all the Oak Ridge Boys, we're looking forward to coming back and we'll do our best to make it a great night."
Of course, they'll play fan favorites like "Elvira," "Leaving Louisiana in the Broad Daylight" and "Sweet Jesus," a song that's very special to the Oak Ridge Boys because it was recorded with music legend Merle Haggard. However, they also plan to play some patriotic singles and new music they've been working on for their Christmas album set to release in a month.
They recently recorded a track on Blake Shelton's latest album and were invited to perform a mash-up at the CMT Music Awards of Shelton's new hit, "Doing It to Country Music," - a suggestive but innocent play on words about doing everything while listening to country music.
It was one of the highlights of the year for Sterban, who said Shelton has become a good friend of the Oak Ridge Boys through the music-making process.
However, by far the greatest honor was last October when the group was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
"When you look at who's in the Hall of Fame - Elvis, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard - when you look at all the people in the Hall of Fame, for us to be part of that family, it's so special," he said. "It's difficult to find words to describe how special it is. That was certainly the highlight of our year."
During their 43 years of success, the Oak Ridge Boys have also celebrated 12 gold, three platinum and one double platinum album as well as a double platinum single, more than a dozen national No. 1 singles and more than 30 Top 10 hits during their 43 years of success, according to the group's website.
Not many music groups have stayed together through the years, but the Oak Ridge Boys have a true "brotherhood" and a continuous love for performing.
"We've developed a very special friendship," Sterban said. "Each guy in our group is totally different and brings something totally different to the table. That's part of what makes our group so special. We respect our differences, and we respect each guy and what he brings to the table. We realized long ago that we need each other, so we pulled together as a true team."
They have no sights on retiring anytime soon, Sterban said.
Tickets for the all-ages concert range from $25-$50. Gates open at 5 p.m., and the Oak Ridge Boys are set to take the stage at 8 p.m., followed by a fireworks display.
Parking is an additional $5, according to the Shawnee Bluff Winery and Vineyard website.