Richard Sterban, Oak Ridge Boys Bass Singer Who Helped Make ‘Elvira’ a Hit, Dies at 83
Categoria: Musica
Known for his signature "oom poppa, mow mow" bass line on "Elvira," Sterban had 17 No. 1s on the Hot Country Songs chart with The Oak Ridge Boys, plus two top 40 hits on the all-genre Hot 100.
Por Billboard | 15/11/2026
Richard Sterban, the bass vocalist behind the “oom poppa, mow mow” hook on one of The Oak Ridge Boys ‘ biggest hits, “Elvira,” and whose career launched as a backing singer for Elvis Presley , died on Saturday (Nov. 14). He was 83. Related Gone But Not Forgotten: Musicians We Lost in 2026 The Oak Ridge Boys’ Top 10 Billboard Hot Country Songs Hits The Oak Ridge Boys Member Richard Sterban Diagnosed With Pancreatic Cancer Sterban passed away due to complications from bronchitis and pneumonia in Hendersonville, Tenn., his family shared. He died after a long battle with cancer, and after retiring from touring last year. “We appreciate all of your love, support, and prayers,” the Sterban family said in a statement released on Saturday. “Please continue to lift us up in this difficult time. We find comfort knowing that he is currently face to face with Jesus.” Sterban, a member of The Oak Ridge Boys for more than 50 years with Duane Allen, William Lee Golden and the late Joe Bonsall, revealed a pancreatic cancer diagnosis in September 2025 , saying at the time that he was “under the care of the best cancer doctors in the country and, with the help of the Good Lord above, I believe I will be able to get through this.” “Elvira” — The Oak Ridge Boys’ highest-charting single on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, a song that became one of the quartet’s numerous No. 1s on the Hot Country Songs chart, and the winner of a trio of major awards (a Grammy Award, a CMA Award and an ACM Award) put Sterban’s deep vocal front and center in the hit’s chorus. The Oak Ridge Boys had 47 entries on the Hot Country Songs chart, including 17 No. 1s that spanned 1978-90. They also had 39 entries on the Top Country Albums chart, including three No. 1s ( Fancy Free in 1981, Bobbie Sue in 1982 and Deliver in 1984). On the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, the group notched four entries, including two top 40-charted hits: “Elvira” (No. 5 in 1981) and “Bobbie Sue” (No. 12 in 1982). Sterban was born in Camden, N.J., in 1934, and grew up in nearby Collingswood, where he sang at Sunday school and in his seventh grade glee club. He went to Trenton State College, now The College of New Jersey, to study music. Before his professional journey in music led him to The Oak Ridge Boys, Sterban helped found the gospel quartet The Keystones in the Philadelphia area; Bonsall, who would go on to join The Oak Ridge Boys with him, also sang in the group. In the early 1970s, Sterban found himself singing as a backing vocalist for superstar Elvis Presley. For more than a year, he performed with Elvis onstage with J.D. Sumner and the Stamps Quartet, who appeared in the concert film Elvis on Tour (1972). By 1972 the opportunity to join The Oak Ridge Boys — then a gospel four-piece who hadn’t yet shifted to the sound that would make them a house