Richard Sterban, the lead singer of the Oak Ridge Boys whose bass vocals brought 1981’s “Elvira” cover to life, was 83.
The Country Music Hall of Famer’s family and band announced that he died on Saturday in Hendersonville, Tennessee, due to complications from bronchitis and pneumonia “after fighting a long, hard battle with cancer.”
“We appreciate all of your love, support, and prayers,” Sterban’s family said in a statement. “Please continue to lift us up in this difficult time, we find comfort knowing that he is currently face to face with Jesus.”
Sterban previously stepped away from touring with the Oak Ridge Boys for health reasons in May 2025, but he reunited with the group in January to sing “Elvira” at the Grand Ole Opry.
Born Richard Anthony Sterban on April 24, 1943 in Camden, New Jersey, he began singing in Sunday school and glee club before co-founding the gospel quartet Keystones. As part of JD Sumner and the Stamps Quartet, Sterban backed Elvis Presley on tour, immortalized in the 1972 concert film Elvis on Tour.
In 1972, Sterban stepped away from the King’s tour to joined the Oak Ridge Boys along with lead singer Duane Allen, baritone William Lee Golden and tenor Joe Bonsall, who died at age 76 of complications with ALS in 2024. “I wanted to be in the best vocal group in the world,” he once said.
The Oak Ridge Boys, which has sold more than 41 million records, won five Grammys and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2015. The group was founded in 1943 as the Oak Ridge Quartet, changing its name to the Oak Ridge Boys in the 1960s as it moved from its original bluegrass sound to gospel and eventually country.
During their ’81 cover of Dallas Frazier’s “Elvira,” Sterban’s bass vocals were used for the “oom poppa mow mow” riff. Going to No. 1 on the country chart and No. 5 on the pop chart, the track sold more than 2M copies, was named Single of the Year by both the CMA and the Academy of Country Music, and won the Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.
The group was also known for “Bobbie Sue,” “American Made,” “Dream On,” “Gonna Take a Lot of River,” “No Matter How High,” and more during Sterban’s 28-year tenure.
Sterban is survived by his wife, Donna, daughters Lauren (Tyler) and Tori (Michael), sons Rich (Chele), Doug and Chris, grandchildren Mali (Zachary), Nikolas, Tyler (Ryann), Madelyn, Alexandra, Rex, Owen and Charli Grace, and great-grandchildren Salem, Asher and Theo. He was preceded in death by mother Victoria Sterban, brother Joseph Sterban and grandson Zachary.
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