- Richard Sterban has died at the age of 83.
- He spent more than five decades as the unmistakable bass singer of The Oak Ridge Boys.
- Sterban provided the famous booming bass refrain on the group’s 1981 crossover hit “Elvira.”
Richard Sterban, the deep-voiced singer who anchored The Oak Ridge Boys for more than half a century and gave “Elvira” one of the most recognizable bass parts in country music, has died. He was 83 years old.
Sterban died Nov. 14 in Hendersonville, Tennessee, from complications of bronchitis and pneumonia after a long battle with pancreatic cancer, according to People. He had stepped away from touring in 2025 as his health declined, although he later returned for special appearances and recording sessions.
Richard Sterban Left Elvis Presley To Join The Oak Ridge Boys
Born April 24, 1943, in Camden, New Jersey, Sterban began singing in Sunday school when he was just six years old. His voice changed dramatically as he grew older, dropping from soprano to the powerful bass that would eventually become his trademark. He studied music at Trenton State College and performed with gospel groups before joining J.D. Sumner and the Stamps Quartet, which put him onstage as a backup singer for Elvis Presley.
Sterban’s connection to future Oak Ridge Boys bandmate Joe Bonsall also went back years before either man joined the group. The two knew each other from the gospel circuit, where Sterban helped form the Keystones and Bonsall later sang tenor. That friendship would eventually become part of one of country music’s most recognizable lineups.
Sterban later said Presley asked him to come back, but by then he had decided to stay with The Oak Ridge Boys. It was a risky choice at the time, considering he had walked away from one of the biggest tours in the world, but Sterban believed the Oaks had enormous potential. A few years later, their move into country music proved him right.
In late 1972, Sterban made a major gamble and left Presley’s touring organization to join The Oak Ridge Boys. Alongside Duane Allen, William Lee Golden and, beginning the following year, Joe Bonsall, he helped transform the group’s Southern gospel roots into an enormously successful country sound. The quartet eventually scored 17 No. 1 country hits and earned Grammy, CMA and Academy of Country Music awards. Sterban and his bandmates were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2015.
His Voice Made ‘Elvira’ Unforgettable
The group’s defining crossover moment arrived in 1981 with “Elvira.” The song topped the country chart, reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and sold more than two million copies. Bonsall sang lead, but Sterban supplied the impossibly low “oom poppa mow mow” refrain that became the part audiences waited to sing along with. Other Oak Ridge Boys favorites followed, including “Bobbie Sue,” “American Made” and “No Matter How High.” The group also toured with Johnny Cash and sang backup on Paul Simon’s “Slip Slidin’ Away.”
Sterban stepped away from touring in 2025 after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, but he made an emotional return to the Grand Ole Opry in January 2026. He joined The Oak Ridge Boys for “Elvira” during two appearances and received standing ovations from the crowd. Duane Allen later called having Sterban back onstage “one of God’s greatest blessings.”
Sterban also recorded several tracks for The Oak Ridge Boys’ latest album, Buried Treasures, which was released on October 30, just two weeks before his death. His family said afterward, “We find comfort knowing that he is currently face to face with Jesus.”
Sterban remained part of The Oak Ridge Boys for more than 50 years, becoming a member of the Grand Ole Opry and entering both the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and Country Music Hall of Fame along the way. His final public appearance came at the Country Music Hall of Fame’s 2026 Medallion Ceremony. Sterban is survived by his wife, Donna; five children, Lauren, Tori, Rich, Doug and Chris; eight grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
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