Oak Ridge Boys Invited to Join Grand Ole Opry

One of the biggest honors in country music is membership in the Grand Ole Opry, and last night the Oak Ridge Boys were invited to join:

The Oak Ridge Boys were invited to join the Grand Ole Opry this evening. The legendary country music group made up of William Lee Golden, Joe Bonsall, Richard Sterban, and Duane Allen will be formally inducted into the Opry family on Sat., Aug. 6.

After the Oaks performed their hit “Y’All Come Back Saloon,” 62-year Opry member Jimmy Dickens surprised the group by walking on stage dressed as a 4’11” William Lee Golden, including long beard and sunglasses. “All my life I’ve wanted to be a little bitty Oak Ridge Boy,” Dickens announced to raucous laughter in the Opry House. “On August 6th, I will become the newest member of the Oak Ridge Boys, and at that time, you will become the newest members of the Grand Ole Opry!”

Congrats Duane, Joe, William Lee, and Richard! Well deserved.

Many people know the Oaks from their country music hits, but my connection to them goes back a lot farther. They played a big role in my love of Southern Gospel and desire to sing in a quartet.

Back in the early 70's (probably 1972) my dad was part of a local quartet and attended a concert in Long Beach that featured The Oaks and several other groups. That night he brought 15 albums home from that concert, including several from The Oaks. I fell in love with their music right away and still have all those albums. One of my favorite live albums of all times is "Performance", recorded by The Oaks in Nashville in '72 or '73 when they were still doing gospel. The group on that album featured a different bass and tenor - Joe and Richard joined the group shortly after that recording - but the sound has remained solid through the years.

I saw them live as gospel artists a couple of times in the early 70's, and again as country artists in 1988 at Disneyland.  All great shows.  Hope to see them again sometime.