Noooooo. The Oak Ridge Boys are doing their final shows.

Tough news but the Oak Ridge Boys have launched their final tour, that's right FINAL. Bob caught up with Richard Sterban to discuss.

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Bob, I'm thinking on the linewith us right now, my favorite Oakridge
boy because we share a passion forbaseball. This is Richard Sturbin. How
are you doing, sir, Well, Bob, I'm doing fine, and
it's great to be able to talkto you again and to all your final
listeners out there. Okay, areyou wearing a baseball calf right now?
No? You're not. Believe whereI am. You know, I'm a

(00:21):
big baseball fan, right and wehave we have a great college team right
here in Niceville, and I amat baseball practice at Vanderbilt right now.
I'm sitting in the press box asas I'm talking with you, watching watching
them take back practice. You area big baseball fan, certainly, right,
and of course your favorite team hasgot to be who Well, it

(00:44):
all depends on what kind of baseballyou're talking about. I love college baseball,
and obviously in the Vandy Commodore's andmy college team, but you know
I love Major League baseball. Igrew up being a Phillies fan knowing that,
and I like the Atlanta Bridge tothem quite a bit. And you
know I like Triple A Baseball forit for years, I own part of
the Triple A team here in Nashville. You know the Nashville sounds. So

(01:07):
I like baseball at all levels.Oh man, well, I can't wait
for you know how many days untilthe pitchers report. I know you're watching
college practice right now, but Ican't wait for the Yeah, you know
we're looking hopefully Texas Rangers. That'sthat's a heck of a year's well,
well, you know, for afew years we were a Texas Rangers farm
team here. Yeah, I gotfamiliar with some I got familiar with some
of the players. Are where theyhave Yeah. Yeah, In fact,

(01:30):
that's a team which moved from RoundRock by Austin to Nashville a few years
ago. Americans, You are correctabout that. Yeah, it is well
hard to believe, but you've beenan Oakridge member for fifty one years,
right, fifty one years. Thatis great, man. This this October,
it will be fifty two years.It's hard to believe, now,

(01:53):
I know. I know. It'sbeen a very emotional week for country music
fans with the death of Toby Keith. Uh did you ever get a cheat
has to work with Toby? Obviouslyyou met him, of course, right,
we've met Toby and we've worked withsome in the pat It's been a
lot of ums, but we haveactually seen him to be very honestly.
But you know, he he whata great guy he was. He was
a true patriot. He loved thiscountry. He loved the singer about America,

(02:17):
and I loved his music. Andhe's a great man. He was
a great family man, and there'sno question he is going to be sorely
missed. You know, this isa tough one to take it really,
is it? Really? It reallymakes you feel mortal. I mean it's
a way too young only sixty twoyears old, way way too young.
Way to you. Absolutely, yes. Another legacy is the Oakridge Boys legacy.

(02:42):
Is this really? Is this really? It? Is this really the
farewell tour or the American Maid finWe are on our farewell tour? That
is correct? No, yeah,and I'll tell you. Let me just
explain to what we're trying to dohere. You know, we've had such
a great career, we really have. So many good things have happened to
us over the years. So wewant to take some time and go all

(03:07):
over this country and say thank youto our fans, thank as many people
as possible. For allowing us tohave a great career, and not just
our fans, people like yourself,greater people that have been so good to
us over the years, you know, people in newspapers, you know,
anyone that has really helped the OakreageBoys. Now, we do not know
how long that is going to take. Why we have why we have announced

(03:31):
our farewell or what we have notannounced is when it will end. We
do not know that ourselves, Sothat's why we have not Yeah, it's
not going to we have to.We're realistic. You know, someday that's
going to happen. But you know, you know, we've always tried to
rely on divine guidance, and thegood Lord above has not told us yet

(03:52):
it's time to go home for good. So we'll know when it's time to
do that. But so, inother words, you get your chance of
the Oakreage Boys, you better do. There's nothing like an Oakridge Boys show.
The entire family will will join it. Speaking of family, you guys
have a new family member. It'sgot to be very emotional not having Joe
with you on the road. Well, you're you're absolutely correct about that.

(04:13):
It's kind of a bittersweet thing.To be honest with you, Joe,
you know, he's had a roughcouple of years and he was a real
trooper. I'll tell you he foughtit out to the very end, right
But at the end of our atthe end of our Christmas tour, he
told us, you know that us, I just cannot go on a longer.
I've got to stay home. Sohe had to retire from the road.
And it's probably the best thing.That's where he can take care of

(04:34):
himself with us being at home,without the pressure of pat it. You
get on a bus every day andyou know, hit the road. But
he personally hand picked Ben James,a young guy who is now you know,
he can't take Joe's place, andhe doesn't try to take Joe's place,
but he's brought a lot of youngenergy, a lot of great talent

(04:57):
to our group. And so we'reexcited about I mean your way with Ben
James singing with the oak Ridge Boys, because he's a talented kid. There's
no question. Well, we can'twait to see him. I know,
you guys gonna bet the San AntonioRodeo on Sunday with Ben and with everybody.
Everybody knows you worked with Elvis,right, how long did you work
for Elvis? Was a year anda half or two years? I was

(05:18):
with Elvis for just about a yearand a half. I joined the oak
Ridge Boys in nineteen seventy two,so for about a year and a half.
Prior to joining the oak Ridge Boys, I actually sang in a group
called J. D. Sumner andthe Stamps Quartet and had the opportunity to
work with the King of Rock andRoll. I worked with Elvis, and

(05:39):
it was a funny experience, youknow. I had some great memories of
the times I spent with Elvis.I got to know him just a little
bit, and it was a specialtime in my life, to say the
least. There's no question about it. But I have to tell you know,
while I was singing with Elvis,apparently on top of the world,
I got a phone call one dayfrom William Lee Golden of the Old Boys,

(06:00):
and he told me he's a guythat you know with the long beard.
He's probably the most recognizable character inour group. But anyway, he
back then he did not have thelombary. He was mister gene Feugh back
then, well so were you.But I was younger back then, but

(06:24):
William Lee called me and said thebest singer was leaving and wanted to know
all the Oakridge Boys wanted to knowif I would be in arrested in taking
the job. So there I wasapparently on top of the world singing with
Elvis, and I had to makeit. I had to make a decision
like what do I do? Andyou know, I have to admit it.
At the same time, I wasa big fan of the oak Ridge

(06:44):
Boys. I loved the music theywere making, and I really felt like
the group had a great deal ofpotential and I wanted to be a part
of it. So I in seventytwo, I made the decision to leave
Elvis to join the Oakridge Boys,and a lot of people questioned that this.
You know, how could you dothat? How could you leave Elvis
and join the oak Ridge Boys?But I really believed I was doing the

(07:05):
right thing. And now that Ilook back over fifty one years of a
great you know, I think Imade a pretty good decision. Yeah,
I don't think I would second guessyour decision today and all that. Did
you see the Elvis movie? Wereyou happy with the Elvis movie that came
out a couple of years ago.You know, I've seen it several times,
and I've done that. I've seenlike bits and pieces of it,

(07:27):
you know, but I've seen itall several times, and you know,
a lot of it I like,and some of it I'm not sure.
I like a whole lot. Butoverall, I think they did a pretty
good job of kind of showing whatit was like to be Elvis. You
know, he was one of thekind. There's no question. I thought
the casting was great with the kidthat played Elvis is great. I think
he did a good job. Andyou know, I think I think,

(07:49):
you know, Colonel Tim, youknow, they showed his role very well
in that movie. I thought,that's all you're going to say about that,
aren't you right. Okay, let'slet's let I know that Johnny Cash
is a big influence and it helpedyou guys out. Have you seen the
documentary about June Carter Cash called June. I have not seen, you know,

(08:13):
I've I've seen the Johnny Cash movie. I've seen the Johnny Cash movies
ever mine, but I've not seenthe June. No, it's on Paramount
Plus. You've got to watch it, Okay, And I hope that she
will be inducted in the Country MusicHall of Fame this year. It's been
she should be in there. Imean, you guys have been in there
for how many years now? Wejoined it and in sixteen sixteen, which

(08:33):
you guys should have been in earliertoo. I mean, you know,
it's well, you know I feltthat way, but you know, sometimes
you can control the timeline. Sure, I'm just cycled as it did happen,
and it's we're on her to bea part of that, you know
what. And it happened when youguys are still here too, when you
guys could could enjoy it too,you know, you know, back years

(08:54):
ago when I was singing with othersand then later on got to know Johnny
Cash. For us to now bein the same Hall of Fame together with
them, it's beyond words, itreally is. So it's a special place,
there's no doubt about it. Wellone a legacy again, the Oakridge
Boys American Maid Final Final Farewell tour. It's it's it's unbelievable. We get

(09:16):
a chance to see you Sunday inSan Antonio and hopefully this tour will will
last a while. We can catchyou in some other places too, because
there's nothing like the Ukage voice.As I said, we have not announced
when the tour will end, soand we don't know that ourselves. So
we are going to be around fora little while. Yes, we will
be good longer than the Eagles tour. We can tell you that, Okay,

(09:39):
tell Vince gill I said that.Okay, Well, let's get back
to baseball practice. Looking forward toseeing you, sir. I appreciate it.
Well, thank you as always forhelping the Old Ridge Boys, promoting
us, promoting the fact that we'recoming to town. When you do that,
you help us, so thank youvery much. When I you know,
when I got radio in seventy seven, I think the first first record

(10:01):
I played on the air was anOakridge Boys record, you know, probably
y'all come Back. So yeah,yeah, yeah, And still my favorite
song is I'll Be True to You. That's my favorite Oakridge Boys song of
all time. So that's a greatone, you know. That is actually
our first number one record we had, We had y'all come Back and You're
the one on a million. Thefirst song we had to go number one

(10:22):
in Billboard was all be True toYou. I'll be well and enjoy.
I listen. I hope that Vandyhas a good college you know, baseball
season, and looking forward to tocatch up with your real sim in person,
sir, And let me speak forall the overage boys, and I
can tell you we're looking forward tocoming to San Antonio. We're going to
do our best to have a greattime to We want to encourage people come

(10:43):
on out and let's celebrate together.Let's do it Sunday night, of course.