Richard Sterban

Richard Sterban
Sterban in 2019
Background information
Birth name	Richard Anthony Sterban
Born	(1943-04-24) April 24, 1943 (age 82) Camden, New Jersey, U.S.
Genres	Country, pop, gospel
Occupation	Bass singer
Years active	1962–present
Member of	The Oak Ridge Boys
Website	oakridgeboys.com

Richard Anthony Sterban (born April 24, 1943) is an American singer. He was born in Camden, New Jersey. In 1972, he joined the country and gospel quartet the Oak Ridge Boys, in which he sings bass.

Sterban was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2015 as a member of the Oak Ridge Boys.

Personal life

Born in Camden, New Jersey, Sterban grew up in Collingswood, New Jersey, ^[1] After graduating from Collingswood High School, Sterban attended Trenton State College (now The College of New Jersey). ^[2]

Career

Prior to joining the Oak Ridge Boys, Sterban was a founding member of the Keystones, a gospel quartet based in the northeastern United States, and later toured with J. D. Sumner and the Stamps Quartet backing Elvis Presley, including appearing in Elvis On Tour. Sterban is best known for his "oom-pa-pa-oom-pa-pa-moww-moww" bass solo in the Oak Ridge Boys' 1981 single "Elvira" and his lead vocal on a cover of the Righteous Brothers' hit "Dream On", which made the top ten.

Sterban has recorded public service announcements for NOAA Weather Radio. He served as the voice of The Roadhouse , the classic country Sirius Satellite Radio channel. Sterban was a minority owner of the Nashville Sounds minor league baseball team from 1978 to 2008. ^[3]

In recent years, Sterban has taken prolonged absences from the Oak Ridge Boys' tours. Aaron McCune, the bass vocalist for Dailey & Vincent, has often served as Sterban's designated fill-in. In September 2023, the band stated that the issues that had led to Sterban's absences that year were resolved. ^[4] Sterban again took leave from the band following the band's appearance at the 60th Academy of Country Music Awards on May 8, 2025; he would later clarify in September that this was due to treatment for pancreatic cancer that had been diagnosed in March. ^[5] McCune and Tim Duncan are serving as Sterban's fill-ins during 2025 tour dates. ^{[6] [7]}

References

1. DeLuca, Dan. "Today's Walk Of Fame Honorees Include 2 Oak Ridge Boys Just A Couple Of Philly-area Country Boys", The Philadelphia Inquirer , April 28, 1994. Accessed March 10, 2011. "Bonsall grew up in the Harrowgate section of Philadelphia, near the Tioga Street el stop; Sterban was born across the river in Camden and grew up in Collingswood."
2. Lloyd, Jack. "Sturdy Oaks And A Country Boy From Phila.", The Philadelphia Inquirer , February 22, 1991. Accessed November 13, 2013. "The remaining member of the Oaks, Richard Sterban, is a native of Camden who graduated from Collingswood High School and attended Trenton State College."
3. Woody, Larry (1996), Schmittou: A Grand Slam in Baseball, Business, and Life, Nashville: Eggmann Publishing Company, pp. 64–65, ISBN   1886371334
4. Watts, Cindy (September 19, 2023). "The Oak Ridge Boys Announce Farewell Tour". CMT . Archived from the original on September 28, 2023. Retrieved 2023-09-21.
5. "Richard Sterban Releases Health Update". Oak Ridge Boys. September 25, 2025. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
6. "BREAKING: Oak Ridge Boys Singer Richard Sterban Reveals Health Crisis, Asks for Prayers". Taste of Country. 2025-09-25. Retrieved 2025-09-27.
7. Colurso, Mary (2025-09-25). "Legendary country music singer shares cancer diagnosis: 'I will be able to get through this'". al. Retrieved 2025-09-27.