ARCHIVE - MB Talks To The 'Deep Voice' Of The Oakridge Boys, Richard Sterban

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Michael Berry Show.

Speaker 2 (00:01):
One of my favorite interviews over the years with the
Country Music Hall of Famer Oakridge Boy Richard Stourbin. He's
the deep voice in your favorite Oakridge Boys songs. Real
skinny but a big, thick voice. You probably know him
for that thick voice of over forty years of your
favorite songs, but I will tell you and some of

(00:24):
you will know him as the gentleman with the deep
voice who sang back up for Elvis. Yes, the team
around Elvis, the Elvis coaching tree is amazing, but I
know him as my friend and he's a great guy.
Enjoy this conversation from the archive with Oakridge Boy's own
Richard Stourbin. Richard Sturbin, the deep Voice of the Oakridge Boys,

(00:49):
is our guest. I would like to begin our discussion
by cussing him out that it's taken me three and
a half years to get them to the Redneck Country Club.
But I'm going to forgive you because I know it's
the be a hell of a good show. Friday, April
fourteenth at the Redneck Country Club. Let's talk about the
Oakridge Boys. You guys, You guys are still out there
and you seem to be having a blast. I go

(01:10):
on YouTube and I see and I follow you all
on Twitter forty years as this group tour, and then
we'll talk about the history. But I don't think you'd
still be doing this if you weren't having fun.

Speaker 1 (01:21):
Well, you're right, you know, we enjoyed doing what we do.
We look for every night when we're on the road.
We look forward to taking our music live on stage
to our fans and to our audiences. And we're still
having fun doing it, and I think that's important. You know,
we do not plan to retire anytime soon, because we

(01:41):
are enjoying doing what we're doing, and I think that's
one of one of the main factories, you know, for
our longevity. Knows, this combination has been together now for
forty three years, which is hard to believe. A couple
of the guys, William Lee Golden and Dwayne Allen, I've
actually been in the group for over fifty years. You know,

(02:03):
that's mind Bogglinne it is mind.

Speaker 2 (02:05):
Let's talk about the history of this group, the core membership, well,
the group itself I guess dates back I read to
nineteen forty three, and the country group Wally Fowler and
the Georgia Cloud Hoppers in Knoxville, Tennessee. Can you kind
of bring us up to how that happened?

Speaker 1 (02:21):
Well, sure, during the Second World War, a group known
as the Georgia Cloud Hoppers, they would actually go to Oakridge, Tennessee,
and they would entertain the people there who were working
on the development of the atomic bomb. It was called
the Manhattan Project, and people could not leave for security reasons,
so these guys would go and entertain them on a

(02:43):
regular basis. As a result of going to oak Ridge
all the time, they decided to change their name to
the oak Ridge Quartet, and that group continued singing as
the oak Ridge Quartet, you know, for for a while,
you know, into the nineteen fifties. She sang on the
Grand Old Opery with Wally Fowler, you know, on Friday nights,

(03:05):
and I had for the gospel scene they had every
Friday night on the opera, and you know, the group
sang as the oak Ridge Quartet until about the middle
nineteen fifties. The group was then disbanded then reorganized as
the oak Ridge Boys. None of you know, none of

(03:27):
none of us are from that original reorganized review, you know.
William Lee Golden joined in nineteen sixty five, Dwayne Allen
in nineteen sixty six. I joined in nineteen seventy two,
and Joe Bonzel came one year after me in nineteen
seventy three. So the block, So we've been together since

(03:47):
nineteen seventy three. It's pretty it's pretty amazing.

Speaker 2 (03:50):
It is amazing. So Bonzo is a new kid on
the block.

Speaker 1 (03:54):
He's the baby.

Speaker 2 (03:56):
Can you remind him of that? How did you come
into the group?

Speaker 1 (04:00):
Pardon?

Speaker 2 (04:01):
How did you come into the group?

Speaker 1 (04:03):
Well, you know, believe it or not. Prior to joining
the Oak Ridge Boys, I was singing in a group
called J. D. Summoner and the Stanch Quartet, and I
was actually singing with Elvis. I actually sanging with the
King of rock and roll, you know, and maybe it
was actually pretty exciting. It really was.

Speaker 2 (04:20):
Well in that series. And your biography is from Elvis,
Elvis to Elvira, I think from.

Speaker 1 (04:26):
Elvis to Elvi right exactly. But anyway, I was singing
with Elvis and I got a phone call one day.
William Lee Goldman called me up and he said that
they singer in the group was going to leave. Wanted
to get off of the road. He wanted to know
if I would be interested in the job, and you know,
there was very little hesitation on my part, even though

(04:48):
I was singing with Elvis. I was a big fan
of the oak Ridge of Boys. I wanted to be
a part of the group. I felt like the group
had a great deal of potential, and I don't think
I realized quite how much the kendrel, but I felt
like the group had had a great deal of potential
and I wanted to be a part of it. So
I joined the group. And a lot of people questioned

(05:08):
my decision. How could you leave Elvis, you know, to
join the overreadge Boys. But I really believed that I
was doing the right thing, and I think history has
proven that I made a pretty good decision right there.

Speaker 2 (05:20):
I think you did. Richard Sturbin's guess from the Oakridge Boys,
I want to ask you about those Elvis years. There's
quite a group of you guys, You're Larry Gatlin, mac Davis,
Eddie Rabbit that came up writing and singing and backing
from Elvis. Uh, there's quite a lot of talent. I mean,
do you ever look at the alumni that came out
of that era? And what they went on to do.

Speaker 1 (05:42):
Well, it's pretty amazing, you know, I think. You know,
back then when I was with Elvis, he was probably
the biggest star in the world, and he influenced a
lot of people. And there's people all over the music
business today that are having successful career is writing and
performing and whatever, you know, because of the influence of Elis.

(06:06):
He influenced a lot of people, including myself personally. You know,
I had some of my fondest memories are standing around
a piano without the singing gospel song. You know. That's
what he loved to do. Even though even though he
was the king of rock and roll, I really believe
that his favorite music was gospel.

Speaker 2 (06:26):
Music and the only music I ever won a Grammy for.

Speaker 1 (06:30):
Yeah, exactly.

Speaker 2 (06:31):
Well, you guys, the Oakridge Boys were inducted in the
Gospel Music Hall of Fame in two thousand and gospel
has been a theme. I guess that precedes your involvement
in the band.

Speaker 1 (06:41):
Right, Yeah. Absolutely. When I first joined the Oak Grade Boys,
the Oakridge Boys worry gospel group, singing strictly gospel music,
you know, and we then started to make a gradual
transition from you know, from gospel into country, and you know,
in nineteen eight, seventy seven, we had our first country
hit song called y'all Come Back Salon. We started a

(07:04):
chain reaction, you know, a string of number one hit records,
you know, culminated in nineteen eighty one with Elvira.

Speaker 2 (07:12):
Of course, right nineteen seventy seven, y'all really hit it.
And I don't see a big change in what y'all
were doing. It's just sort of maybe the market was ready,
or maybe it was the label. What do you think
caused the Oakridge Boys to hit in seventy seven?

Speaker 1 (07:27):
Well, I think the timing. I think you kind of
hit on it. I think the timing was just right.
You know there uh there was not. Well, I I'll
change it. I was going to say there was not
a four part harmony group in country music, but there
was the satelit about this kind of blaze is the
trail for us. I have to give them credit. They
kind of set the stage for what we were going

(07:49):
to do. But we came on the stage where, you know,
on a scene with our solid four part harmony, you know,
the Joe sang in the high center part, me singing
the low pace at four part harmony, and it's an
unmistakable sound, you know, and I think I think that
the music industry was ready for it. You know, it's
kind of interesting. You know, I was watching the Awards

(08:11):
show the other night, and country music has certainly changed.
It's not like it was when we first came on
the scene. But you know, when we first came on
the scene, we people were saying we were not country enough.
Now we are classic country. So so it's hard to figure.

Speaker 2 (08:29):
Well, I will tell you the response we received to
your show coming up. Uh, I can tell you that
whatever whatever genre you want to call it, it evoked
a lot of very happy memories. Because I have received
so many emails. I can't believe you're bringing the Oaks
to town. This is fantastic, this is wonderful, and I'm
personally excited. I get to I get to look like

(08:51):
a hot shot to my mom, So you know, there's
al and it's music that I can share with my
parents that we both equally love. Our guest is Richard Stourbin.
We're going to talk more to him in just a moment.
Stay tuned. Richard Stourbin of the Oak Ridge Boys coming up.
Our guest is Richard Stourbin, the deep voice of the
oak Ridge Boys. He's the one that does the parts

(09:12):
that you wish you could do, but your voice isn't
quite deep enough. I want to ask you about the
lead singer of the group, Richard. He's active on Twitter
and I kid with him on there sometimes and he's
quite an interesting cat.

Speaker 1 (09:25):
Dwayne Allen, Hey sure is he lives on that computer.

Speaker 2 (09:30):
He does. And what I'm most proud of is he's
in the Texas Gospel Music Hall of Fame. He's in
the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame, and he's in
East Texas State University graduate.

Speaker 1 (09:41):
A good Texas boy, he really is, you know, and
he's you know, he's the song guy in our group.
You know. He spends a lot of time with publishers
and with songwriters around Nashville looking for hits, looking for
great songs. And we're getting ready to go into the
studio and it's a record again here in July, and

(10:01):
he's busy right now looking for material. He's looking for music,
and he's coming up with some pretty good songs. It
really is.

Speaker 2 (10:08):
Well, let's take nineteen seventy seven and y'all come back Saloon.
What was who made the decision. How was that going
to be the song you were going to record at
that point?

Speaker 1 (10:18):
Well, you know, we Ron Chancey was our producer and
he produced most of our number one hits, and he
actually found that song for us, And I remember that
sitting in his office, and I remember the day he
played the demo of that song. We looked at each
other and we went, Wow, this, I think this is
the song we've been looking for. You know. I think

(10:39):
that demo was so good. I thought I thought it
could have become a hit, you know. But we went
into the studio and you know, put our touch to it,
you know, and it actually turned out pretty well, and
it kind of set the stage for what was to
happen for us, you know, for several years to come
after that.

Speaker 2 (10:56):
Did y'all ever wonder whether the concept of the harmony
would make it? Obviously that the Statler Brothers did, But
it feels like there was a point in time where
that harmony just kind of took off and that gave
y'all such a unique sound in country music.

Speaker 1 (11:11):
Well, you're absolutely right, you know, there's something very unique
about the four voices singing together and harmonizing together. And
there's no mistake you know, when the Oakridge Boys come
on the radio, you know, or or are you stick
a stick a you know, ciggy and your your SIGHI
player in the car or whatever, there's no mistaking that

(11:33):
when you hear that solid four part harmony, it is
the Oakreage Boys, it is us. We have a unique sound,
and you know, it really hasn't changed over the years,
you know, you know, we still do the kind of
singing the same way we did years ago.

Speaker 2 (11:47):
I was reading in preparation for our discussion, and I
did not know that y'all contributed harmonies to uh Slip
Sliding Away by Paul Simon.

Speaker 1 (11:56):
That is that is the first airplay that we ever
got on the radio.

Speaker 2 (12:02):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (12:03):
I remember, you know, Paul Simon calling us up, you know,
and and actually he actually flew us to New York
City and it was the first time into my life
I ever flew first class. He flew us first class,
and we spent several days in the story. They're working
with him, you know, he he's a perfectionist, and it

(12:24):
took several days for us to get that sound that
he wanted, you know, but uh uh we finally got it,
you know, and uh uh it turned out really well.
You know, we did not get any credit for being
on that record. I do remember, you know, when that
that song was a hit on the radio, pulling up
to a red light in my car and listening to
it on the radio and looking to the right of

(12:46):
wondering if the person next to me was also listening
to that same song, so that I felt like saying, hey,
that is us.

Speaker 2 (12:54):
Yeah, yeah, right, yeah, yeah, that's yeah, sure, but you know,
it's funny. I always asked this question Richard's Sturban's our
guest of the Oakrage Boys. I always asked this question, Richard,
And I guess maybe that's it. The first time you
hear yourself on the radio, and artists can always tell you.
I remember the first time I heard myself coming through the.

Speaker 1 (13:12):
Radio, there's no question. And I also remember the first
time we ever saw our record on the jukebox. You know.
We were in a truck stop, guess outside of Houston,
believe it or not, And we went into this truck
stop and we saw our record. We all come back
Saloon on the juke box and we just put back.

(13:33):
Then you could play it for a quarter and put
we just poured quarters in there, sat there and listen
to ark. We listened to ourselves on the jukebox.

Speaker 2 (13:42):
What a neat sound. I read that y'all do one
hundred and fifty shows a year on the road. Is
that right?

Speaker 1 (13:49):
You are absolutely correct. We work a lot. We're very busy,
and that's the way we like it. We like working
doing what we do, is I said earlier. And we
keep busy and some years it's even more than one
hundred and fifty days, you know. But you know, we
don't plan this a low down We're not. We're not

(14:09):
the you know, young kids on the block in the loader.
But we don't plan to retire, as I said earlier,
because we love doing what we do.

Speaker 2 (14:17):
So when you get home and you're not on the road,
I mean, y'all have done thirty one studio albums, a
live album, fourteen compilation albums, sixty three singles, seventeen of
which hit number one. That's a lot of studio time
as well. But when you're away from music, what do
you do?

Speaker 1 (14:33):
What do you like to do? I am a huge
baseball thing. I love I love baseball. In fact, tonight
I plan to go I plan to go to the
Vanderbilt baseball game tonight here in Nashville. It's just it's
just my way of real life. Now. I love this sport.
I'm so excited. You know, yesterday was opening day and
I'm looking forward to the new season.

Speaker 2 (14:55):
Well, I read the minor league baseball team, the Sounds,
that you and Conway and was it Larry Gatlin, Cole Smith,
Bill Anderson. There was a group of y'all that were
part of that team. I can't remember who all it was,
but that you were part of that ownership team, which
had to be a lot of fun. It was.

Speaker 1 (15:15):
You know, for about thirty years, I was a part
owner of the Nashville Sounds. I am no longer an
owner of a few years ago we had an ownership
group that came in and bought us all out. But
they still allow me to act like I am an owner.
I can still go in there and act like I
own the place. So I can still go to I
can still go to batting practice, hang out with the players.

(15:38):
You get to know the coaches and the manager, and
you know, it's just like a hobby of mine, man,
and I just love it.

Speaker 2 (15:46):
Do you ever take VP or you just hang out there.
Do you ever take BP? Do you ever take batting practice?

Speaker 1 (15:52):
You know, I never have.

Speaker 2 (15:55):
That's you know, if you're the owner, you should get
to do that. Even if you.

Speaker 1 (15:58):
Watch every pitch. You're right, I should get a chance
to do that.

Speaker 2 (16:04):
That would be a whole lot of fun. Tell me
about William Golden.

Speaker 1 (16:09):
He is a character, to say the least. You know.
I don't know of anyone that has the ability to
interpret a lyric of a song and then take that
lyric and then communicate it to a crowd, to an audience.

(16:29):
He is a master of doing that, you know. And
I think the best example is when he does thank
God for Kids on our show. You know, you look
at in the audience and you see that what he's
doing is touching people, is moving people. You know, you
see people holding hands, people hugging each other, people hugging

(16:49):
their kids. You know, you see people with tears in
their eyes. You can tell the song is actually touching people.
And I think it's because of his ability. He's a
storyteller long ways, and he can communicate that message to people.

Speaker 2 (17:04):
And I think that beard. You know, when I look
at the four of you, you all look different. You
have different voices, and I think that's what makes the harmony.
It's that it's not duplicative. But that beard is. So
if he ever, if he ever saved that off, I
don't know, it just wouldn't be right.

Speaker 1 (17:19):
Well, you know, I don't think he ever would. I
think you know that there was a time and a
few years ago, but he was offered quite a bit
of money to shave it off and he refused to
do it. You know, he said, that's you know, that's
not him, but that's his look and he's going to
stick with it.

Speaker 2 (17:34):
Yeah, And I think it's it's the Oakridge boys's look.
I mean, it's just it's the way it's supposed to.
I wish Joe Bonzil still had that big, you know
afro that he had. Yeah, yeah, those were fun times.
Tell me about Joe Bonzel Oh.

Speaker 1 (17:50):
Now, he's mister energy. There's no doubt about it. You know.
He he's like the spark plug for the group. First
of all, he's the spokesperson and he's very good at it.
He knows how to communicate with an audience. He knows
how to say just of light things. But he provides
us with a spot which he's he's not a kid

(18:10):
any any longer either, but he's still is all over
that stage. He's up and down, you have a full
of energy, and you know, he's just a fun person
to be around. I don't know what we would do
without him.

Speaker 2 (18:22):
Really, Richard, can you hold with me for one more segment?

Speaker 1 (18:25):
One more segment? Be fine? All right?

Speaker 2 (18:27):
Richard Stourbin is our guest with the Oakrage Boys. More
coming up with him. We're talking to Richard Stourbin, who's
agreed to stay around for one more segment, and we're glad.
He has a couple of questions I wanted to get
to because they're important. I wish, I wish Nashville, modern
Nashville would would adopt more of this I see in
your shows. I see in the public statements y'all make.

(18:50):
Patriotism is something that you take great pride in, and
I know your audience appreciates that. But I also sense
that it's important to y'all personally, our troops, our country
of a country. We can disagree, but do it agreeably.
How did that become such a part of y'all show?

Speaker 1 (19:06):
Well, you know, I think I think it goes back
to the way the four of us were raised. First
of all, the four of us are all raised in
Christian homes. We were taught right from wrong, and we
were all taught that, you know, we live in a country,
but if you work hard, good things can happen to you.
And and and so we appreciate the freedoms that we

(19:26):
have in this country. We really do. And so I
feel like it's important for us to honor those freedoms
and just especially honor those people who are defending our freedoms,
you know, at home here as well as abroad, and
veterans are very very important. Does we honor the veterans
at every show? Because I think that's a very very

(19:48):
important thing. Anyone who has sacrificed, you know, for our
country and for the freedoms that we have here, you know,
has a special place in our hearts, that's for sure.

Speaker 2 (19:58):
You know, that brings me to another issue. And I
don't know how much of that you want to speak to,
but it feels like, you know, when I was growing up,
when y'all hit in seventy seven, I was seven years old,
and my mom listened to you guys, and I've watched
your careers and as the guys that I grew up
watching and continue to listen to their music. It seems

(20:21):
like their connection to their country and to their fans
has deepened, and particularly to a certain lifestyle and a
certain set of values. And I don't mean political, I
mean more cultural. Respecting your parents, respecting your spouse, being
a good parent. And it feels like that's I don't
sense that out out of the younger country, and I'd
like to more. Do you feel that way or is

(20:44):
that just me being an old curmudgeon?

Speaker 1 (20:47):
You know, it's difficult to say, you know. You know,
I watched the Award Show the other night, and you know,
it's one hundred. Music has certainly changed, is certainly a
lot different than when we were we first came on
the scene, you know, but it's hard. I would hate
to speak for these For these people, I don't really
know what their values are, you know. I just hope
that they do the right thing, you know, and treat

(21:11):
people right and are kind of you know, the families
you know, and the people that work for them. Yeah,
And I just hope they do the right thing. I
really do.

Speaker 2 (21:21):
When you look back over a career of forty years
of touring with three guys, you spent as much time
with them as you have your own spouse or any
anyone else. What's a couple of memories that you look
back and go, boy that I mean, obviously, I know
the Country Music Hall of Fame has to be one
of those. But what are a couple of those moments
that really stick out to you?

Speaker 1 (21:41):
Well, you know, first of all, I think one of
the reasons we've been around for so long is because
we have a great respect for each other. You know,
each guy in the group is different, Each guy brings
something different to the table, and we respect that between
the four of us, and I think that I think
we realize it's a long time ago that we need

(22:02):
each other. So we pulled together as a true team
you know, where we're you know, a true brotherhood, we
really are. And like you said, probably the ultimate was
being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. That
it's difficult to find words to describe how special that
whole thing was to us and still is, you know.

(22:22):
And uh, you know, like you know, when you look
at the Country Music Hall of Fame and you look
at people who are in the Country Music Hall of Fame,
people like Elvis, people like Johnny Cash, you know, people
like George Jones, you know what, you know, the late
Merle Haggard, you know, for the Old Bridge Boys. To

(22:43):
be a part of that group, to be a part
of that family is such a tremendous honor. It really is,
and it's hard to find words to describe how special
it is. Uh. The only other thing that I can say,
you know, that maybe comes close to that is being
inducted into the Operator. That was also that was also
a very special thing for us. Little Jimmy Dickens when

(23:07):
he was still alive. He's the one that actually inducted
us into the Grand Old Operator. And that's another very
special family of people that is just a tremendous honor
to be a part of. So that's certainly a highlight
of our career.

Speaker 2 (23:21):
As well well, and it should be, and it's well deserved.
And I know that there are a lot of guys
that would love to have that honor and haven't had
it yet. I always asked this question, and I asked
it of Charlie Daniels, and I was shocked by the answer.
I asked people about the artist that you were a
fan of that then became a fan of yours. And

(23:41):
he told me a story about getting to play session
guitar with Bob Dylan for one song that was part
of his deal, and when he went to put his
stuff up in his box in his case, Bob Dylan
reached over to the producer and said, where's he going?
He said, well, your session musicians are outside. He not
your session musician. We just let him play on one song.

(24:02):
And he said no, no, no, no, he stays and plays.
And Charlie said, you know, that's to this day, the
fact that Bob Dylan was a fan not of my singing,
but of my guitar, and not of my fiddle plan,
but of my guitar plan. He said, I still wear
that as a badge of honor. Is there somebody that
you were a huge fan of that you remember one
day them saying wow, I'm a big fan of yours

(24:23):
and it blew your mind.

Speaker 1 (24:25):
Well, you know, I think person probably comes at the
top of that list for all the Oakridge Boys would
have to be Johnny Cash. You know, Johnny. I don't
think there'd be an Oakreridge Boys today if it wasn't
for Johnny Cash. Years ago, we were kind of struggling
along and starving, and Johnny Cash kind of took us

(24:46):
under his wings. He put us on his show. He
actually paid us more money than we were worth. But
more than the money you know, well, you know, you
know were his words encouragement. You know that. I remember
we had a meeting with him one time. We were
playing in Las Vegas. He said, fellas, come on up

(25:09):
to my room. I want to talk to you. Guys.
I can tell your heads are hanging and I want
I want to talk to you. And so we went
to his room and he said, he says, I can
tell you guys are struggling and you're thinking about maybe
giving up, you know, And we were we didn't have
any other days. We didn't know how we were going
to stay together. But he said, listen to me. He said,

(25:32):
you guys have to find a way to stay together.
He said, If you will find a way to stay together,
he says, I promise you that good things are about
to start happening to you. Guys. He said, there's something
very special at the four of you, and if you
give up now, you know, people are never going to

(25:52):
realize how special you guys are, and you're never going
to realize your dream. So find a way to stay together.
I promise you you're going to make These things are
going to happen to you. And I remember walking out
of that meeting with Johnny Cash with our heads raised
up high. We all said to each other, Wow, if
Johnny Cash thinks we're going to make it, we are

(26:12):
going to make it. And sure enough, you know, not
too long after that, we came in contact with Jim
Halsey who became our manager, who is still our manager today,
and he got our first record contract with ABC Dodd Records,
which then became MCA Records. He acquired you know, Ron
Chancey to be our pretentip and great things started happening

(26:34):
to us, you know. And it was just a few
years later that we won our first CMA warning this
Vocal Group of the Year, and Johnny Cash happened to
be posting the show and they when they announced us,
you know, as winners of the book. Instead of running
up I mean to the left side of the stage

(26:55):
and accepting our awards, we ran over to where Johnny
Cash was. We all ran over there, we ugg him
and he said, see bellas I told you so so
so so, you know, I don't like I said, I
don't think there would the Oakridge Boys. They you know
it wasn't for Johnny Cash. Wow.

Speaker 2 (27:12):
That gives me chill bumps. Well, I promised you I
wouldn't keep you any longer, Richard Sturban. I appreciate your time.
I look forward to seeing you at the Redneck Country Club.
It's going to be a real thrill for me.

Speaker 1 (27:20):
Well well, Michael, and thank you for giving me a
chance to talk to you and to your fine listeners.
And uh, you know, I can speak for all the
Oakridge Boys, and I can tell you we're looking forward
to coming your way and we're going to have a
great time. We're going to do all the hiss that
you expect to hear. We're gonna get so in some gospel,
we're going to do some patriotic music and just a
great family show, you know. So come on out and

(27:42):
you know, spend some time with the Oakreage Boys.

Speaker 2 (27:44):
There will be three generations of the Berry family there
to enjoy the evening.

Speaker 1 (27:48):
So thank you, Richard, thank you, Michael.

Speaker 2 (27:51):
There you have it, Richard Sturban of the Oakridge Boys.
You know AM Radio AM Radio back in the day
was the original FM came along much later, and FM,
as we've talked about before, is a much tighter signal.
It's a purer signal, it's a cleaner signal, and it's

(28:12):
frankly better suited to sorry to listen to listening to music.
But the AM dial is how much of our listening audience,
particularly the over forty and especially the over fifty crowd,
grew up listening to radio. So I always I don't

(28:33):
know if anybody cares or they think I'm stupid. A
lot of radio programmers tell me to quit playing to
damn much music and talk. But music is a big
part of my life, and I had a very happy childhood,
and I think that because I have such fond memories
of my own childhood, I like to revisit it on occasion.

(28:53):
And I do that with music, and I do that
with sport. I go back to Earl will run into
football for the Houston Orders, or Dan Pasterini throwing deep
bombs or bum Phillips being the coach, or Nolan Ryan pitching,
and you know, those are very fond memories from me.
So I know some of you get aggravated. I hear

(29:15):
from you, and we all hear from you that it's
too damn much music, but that's why I do it.
It takes me back to a very good place, and
so that's what I like to do. Through the end
of this segment, I hope you'll indulge me an incredible career,
the Oakridge Boys, an incredible career, and some of the

(29:38):
nicest guys you ever want to talk to. And I
encourage you for those of you that are on Twitter,
all four of them are on Twitter, Dwayne Allen, Richard Sturbin,
Joe Bonzel, and William Lee Golden, and for our listening audience,
I think that you will find that you enjoy their politics.
How about that. I'll say that if you like Michael
Berry Show in podcast, please tell one friend and if

(30:01):
you're so inclined, write a nice review of our podcast. Comments, suggestions, questions,
and interest in being a corporate sponsor and partner can
be communicated directly to the show at our email address,
Michael at Michael Berryshow dot com, or simply by clicking
on our website, Michael Berryshow dot com. The Michael Berry

(30:24):
Show and Podcast is produced by Ramon Roeblis, The King
of Ding. Executive producer is Chad Knakanishi. Jim Mudd is
the creative director. Voices Jingles, Tomfoolery and Shenanigans are provided

(30:45):
by Chance McLain. Director of Research is Sandy Peterson. Emily
Bull is our assistant listener and superfan. Contributions are appreciated
and often incorporated into our production. Where possible, we give credit,
where not, we take all the credit for ourselves. God

(31:06):
bless the memory of Rush Limbaugh. Long live Elvis, be
a simple man like Leonard Skinnard told you, and God
bless America. Finally, if you know a veteran suffering from PTSD,
call Camp Hope at eight seven seven seven one seven

(31:27):
PTSD and a combat veteran will answer the phone to
provide free counseling.