William Lee Golden | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | William Lee Golden |
Born | January 12, 1939 |
Origin | Brewton, Alabama, U.S. |
Genres | Country, gospel |
Occupation(s) | Singer, painter, wizard |
Instrument | Vocals (baritone) |
Years active | 1965–present |
Labels | MCA, Mercury |
Member of | The Oak Ridge Boys |
Website | www |
William Lee Golden (born January 12, 1939) [1] is an American country music singer. Between 1965 and 1987, and again since December 1995, he has been the baritone singer in the country vocal group The Oak Ridge Boys.
Golden was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2015 as a member of the Oak Ridge Boys.
Golden joined The Oak Ridge Boys (then a Southern gospel music group) in 1965. Golden is widely known for his waist-length beard and hair, and has become one of the most recognizable faces in the entertainment industry. Golden was voted out of The Oak Ridge Boys in 1987, as the other three members wanted to change the band's image. [2] He was replaced by Steve Sanders, but stayed with MCA Records as a solo artist to record an album titled American Vagabond, which included two chart singles. [3] In 1990, he moved to Mercury Records and released "Louisiana Red Dirt Highway". [2]
Sanders left the group in 1995 and Golden returned on New Year's Eve of the same year. [4]
Has been married four times. [5] Golden was married to Frogene Normand from 1957 to 1975. He married Luetta Callaway in 1984 and they divorced in 1987. He was married to Brenda Kaye Hall from 1990 to 2013. Golden married Simone De Staley in 2015. They live in Hendersonville, Tennessee.[ citation needed ] He has four sons, Rusty, Craig, Chris and Solomon, a step-daughter and seven grandchildren. [ citation needed ] Golden's sons Rusty and Chris recorded as The Goldens for Epic Records and Capitol Records between 1988 and 1991. [3] They also played in his road band during his solo career. [2]
Golden's home is called The "Golden Era Plantation." Built in 1786, it is recognized as the oldest brick home in Sumner County, Tennessee. The Federal-style structure was built in 1786, then called "Pilot's Knob," on a military outpost by American Revolutionary War Captain James Franklin, the father of planter and slave trader Isaac Franklin (1789–1846). After the war, he was awarded a land grant to the property.
During the Civil War, the Plantation became a station camp for Confederate soldiers. In order to protect their valuable gold and silver from approaching Union soldiers, the occupants buried the metals in the ground surrounding the house. This gold was later discovered during renovation of the home in 1976.
The area has been struck twice by tornadoes; once in 1892 and again on April 6, 2006. Originally a two-story building, the second story was removed by the first tornado. Repairs were made leaving it as a single-story home. Following the second tornado, the home's architecture was restored, adding a second story. William Lee Golden still resides at Golden Era. [6]
Year | Album | US Country | Label |
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1986 | American Vagabond | 53 | MCA |
2000 | My Life's Work | — | Audio Visual Arts III |
2010 | The Artist [7] | — | self-released |
Year | Single | Chart positions | Album | |
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US Country | CAN Country | |||
1986 | "Love Is the Only Way Out" | 53 | 58 | American Vagabond |
"You Can't Take It with You" | 72 | 52 | ||
1990 | "Keep Lookin' Up" [8] | — | — | — |
"Louisiana Red Dirt Highway" [9] | — | — |
Year | Single | Artist | US Country | Album |
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1990 | "Tomorrow's World" | Various artists | 74 | Single only |
Year | Single |
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1990 | "Keep Lookin' Up" |
"Louisiana Red Dirt Highway" |
Hendersonville is the most populous city in Sumner County, Tennessee, on Old Hickory Lake. As of the 2020 census the city's population was 61,753.
The Oak Ridge Boys are an American country and gospel vocal quartet originating in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Since 2024, the group consists of Duane Allen, Ben James, William Lee Golden, and Richard Sterban. The group was founded in 1943 as the Oak Ridge Quartet. They became popular in Southern gospel during the 1950s. Their name was changed to the Oak Ridge Boys in the early 1960s, and they remained a gospel group until the mid-1970s, when they changed their image and concentrated on country music.
"Elvira" is a song written and originally recorded by Dallas Frazier in 1966 on his album of the same name. Though a minor hit for Frazier at the time of release, the song became a bigger and much more famous country and pop hit by the Oak Ridge Boys in 1981. "Elvira" is now considered one of the Oak Ridge Boys' signature songs.
Skylite Recording Company is a Memphis based gospel music label started by The Statesmen Quartet and The Blackwood Brothers in 1959. Along with The Blackwood Brothers and The Statesmen Quartet, Skylite signed, among others, The Speer Family, and the Oak Ridge Quartet. In 1966, the Statesmen-Blackwood team sold the record company to a group of investors led by Joel Gentry, with main offices on Music Row in Nashville, Tenn.
Heart Warming was a gospel record label started by John T. Benson Jr. Heart Warming and their chief rival Canaan Records were arguably the two biggest and best gospel labels in their time. The Oak Ridge Boys, Jd Sumner and the Stamps Quartet, Jake Hess & The Imperials, Dottie Rambo, Bill Gaither Trio and Speer Family all signed to it and had many recordings on it. The Cathedral Quartet produced two of their most popular albums on it With Brass and With Strings.
"Gonna Take a Lot of River"—often known as "Gonna Take a Lot of River "—is a song written by John Kurhajetz and Mark Henley, and recorded by American country music group the Oak Ridge Boys. It was released in July 1988 as the lead single from the album Monongahela.
Dallas Frazier was an American country musician and songwriter who had success in the 1950s and 1960s.
"I Guess It Never Hurts to Hurt Sometimes" is a song written and originally recorded by Randy VanWarmer on his 1981 album Beat of Love. It was later covered by American country music group The Oak Ridge Boys in 1984, released as the second single from their album Deliver. The song was The Oak Ridge Boys' ninth number one on the country chart. The single went to number one for one week and spent a total of twelve weeks on the country chart.
"This Crazy Love" is a song written by Roger Murrah and James Dean Hicks, and recorded by American country music group The Oak Ridge Boys. It was released in June 1987 as the second single from the album Where the Fast Lane Ends. The song was The Oak Ridge Boys' fifteenth number one on the country chart. The single went to number one for one week and spent a total of fifteen weeks on the country chart. It was released following the departure of William Lee Golden in March 1987.
"No Matter How High" is a song written by Even Stevens and Joey Scarbury, and recorded by American country music group The Oak Ridge Boys. It was released in December 1989 as the second single from the album American Dreams. The song was The Oak Ridge Boys' seventeenth and final number one on the country chart. The single went to number one for one week and spent a total of twenty-one weeks on the country chart.
"Come On In (You Did the Best You Could Do)" is a song written by Rick Giles and George Green, and recorded by American country music group The Oak Ridge Boys. It was released in November 1985 as the third single from the album Step On Out. The song reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. The song was also recorded by Oak Ridge Boys member William Lee Golden on his 1986 solo album American Vagabond.
"True Heart" is a song written by Michael Clark and Don Schlitz, and recorded by American country music group The Oak Ridge Boys. It was released in February 1988 as the second single from the album Heartbeat. The song reached #5 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.
"Beyond Those Years" is a song written by Troy Seals and Eddie Setser, and recorded by American country music group The Oak Ridge Boys. It was released in April 1989 as the third single from the album Monongahela. The song reached #7 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.
"An American Family" is a song written by Bob Corbin, and recorded by American country music group The Oak Ridge Boys. It was released in 1989 as the first single from the album American Dreams. The song reached #4 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.
"Lucky Moon" is a song written by Doug Johnson and Mark Wright and recorded by American country music group The Oak Ridge Boys. It was released in March 1991 as the first single from the album Unstoppable. The song reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. It was the group's last Top 10 hit.
Greatest Hits 3 is a compilation album by American country music group The Oak Ridge Boys. It was released in 1989 via MCA Records. The album peaked at number 22 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.
Heartbeat is the 13th country studio album by the American country music group The Oak Ridge Boys, released via MCA Records in 1987. It was the first album to feature Steve Sanders, who took William Lee Golden's place in March of that year. The album includes the singles "Time In" and "True Heart". The album reached number 20 on Top Country Albums.
Steve Sanders was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. After playing rhythm guitar in the Oaks Band, Sanders was asked to replace William Lee Golden, the baritone in The Oak Ridge Boys, who had left the group in 1987.
The Goldens were an American country music duo from Brewton, Alabama composed of brothers Rusty and Chris Golden. Rusty and Chris are the sons of The Oak Ridge Boys member William Lee Golden. Before forming The Goldens, Chris was a member of Cedar Creek and Rusty was a member of The Boys Band. Supporting musicians in The Goldens included Greg Gordon, Don Breland, John Rich, Skip Mitchell, Buster Phillips, and John Sturdivant, Jr.
Bobby Thompson was an American banjoist and guitarist. He worked as a session musician from the 1960s through 1980s. He recorded with Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Neil Young, Perry Como, among others.