Richard Sterban was on point here and according to JD Sumner was on a high level in bass singing skill around when he turned 35 and after with a wide range with increased low end from maturing into it. What a career Richard Sterban has had with the likes of Elvis, JD Sumner and the other members of the Stamps Quartet who are amazing along with the famous instrumentalists in Elvis band like the gutarist and The Sweet Inspirations girls backup who all jammed together long hours and exposure to the great southern gospel musicians and rock and roll and country legends he gained exposure to and to sing with and straight to fifty years as the bass singer for the Oak Ridge Boys with a stellar career that gave him an iconic part universal known. Pretty impressive and the Elvira bass solo is almost no comparison to the lifetime paid his dues and been around the block and when he did go around the block he was hanging with the greatest legends this country has produced. He definitely ranks in my top five or ten bass singers pretty high on list. Paired with JD Sumner with his voice far less deep but very melodic and smooth like 19 or 20 vs 40 yrs old the two had a unique effect on the quartet sound and with Elvis singing lead and/or trading lead with Ed Enoch plus two other baritones and a great tenor the music was powerful and reached the world in first satellite global live broadcast ever from Hawaii. Impressive Legend status career for Richard Sterban and for a bass singer that is rare and maybe still under recognized on all levels and considerated as a life time in American music rock and country and gospel.
Can you believe that its been 20 years now since Steve went forward, June 10th was the day, if only I had discovered him sooner, I love him SO much!!! (burying my head) God bless you and his family always!!! Holly in East Tennessee
What I would like to know is how things were going for him exactly just before his going forward. That awful day was just before his son's birthday. (shaking my head) God bless you and his boy always!!! Holly in East Tennessee P.S. I know about his boy's birthday because I used to write to him on Face Book. Sadly though his Face Book page was taken away and to this day I still do not know why. If he was being given any kind of hard time by another person there, I would like to kick that other person where it hurts because his boy couldn't have been anymore of a gentlemen to me. (burying my head)
@@SweetHeartHolly1982 I read that he was still being tormented by his ex-wife and more litigation papers were brought to his residence a few hours after he committed suicide. I'm not saying that he was completely blameless in his problems with his ex-wife, because I don't know that, but she clearly was motivated by pure vindictiveness, in the hope of making Steve and his wife Janet as miserable as possible, and I guess she finally drove him to his breaking point.
i have read that The Oak Ridge Boys had previously been an opening act for Steve Sanders...then known as "Little Stevie Sanders", who was quite a singing sensative during childhood and the teen years. I remember watching him on "The Gospel Singing Jubilee". (Note: this might have been an earlier edition of the ORB...)
I'm seeing this in 2024, just days after the passing of Joe Bonsall, and I confess that I had not seen Steve Sanders before....he was certainly more animated than William Golden, but I like Golden's contribution better.
Thank you so much for leaving this clip up here, I love to watch Steve sing in it so much. (forever wishing I had discovered him sooner) God bless you and his family always!!! Holly in East Tennessee
Well its been 20 years now since Steve went forward, yesterday was the day, if only I had discovered him sooner, I love him SO much!!! (burying my head) God bless you and his family always!!! Holly in East Tennessee
I'm old enough to remember Sanders in the early 70's when he was justa boy singing gospel songs. He was Good at it. I would like to know why he put a gun to his head. His on stage presents didn't give nothing away. But I don't think William Lee Golden was well replaced by anyone. I met Golden at an amusement park once while he was out of the Oaks and we just talked about the music he and his boys were doing at the time. But I don't believe his spot was ever filled till he went back. He is, along with Duane a founding member.
I'm sorry, I grew up with my lovable mountain man. My mom got me stuck on them when I was just a wee little lass. So many concerts I've been to when I was the youngest in the audience to know all the words to every single song. It started at about 7 years old. 40 years later, I still love them! However, I didn't even realize that they ever had another singer. So sad the way he left this world for the next. 😢
Those albums with Steve Sanders I guess from late 80s or possibly mid 80s through when I remember he left the band for some unfortunate reason were absolutely awesome imo and the patriotic themed songs were really good and timely at end of cold war and the country was in a up surge in patriotic vibes. So hell yes that was impressive music and the albums were becoming better as time went on like the songs Fall and Lucky Moon were involvement into a good direction.
@@kellylausman259if you really look at the albums that they did those years with Steve Sanders you might dig them a lot. Four or five super albums around late 80s to early 90s I actually was excited knowing to next was bring released soon and got it from the mall music store release day only one CD the rest cassette. Still have one. People are surprised is I play this stuff for them cause it is not well known but everyone loves it.
You couldn't have said it better about Steve making the act complete. Sadly the brain trains of the other members could only travel so far. (shaking my head) God bless you and those who have loved Steve longer than me always!!! Holly in East Tennessee (forever wishing that I had discovered him sooner)
@@SweetHeartHolly1982 I saw those guys at a fair in Wisconsin. Steve was the best lead singer they had. Not sure why they would've replaced him. They're just not the same anymore - can't even go to see them without him. Sad.
@@SweetHeartHolly1982 I believe it was his ex wife that was really giving Steve a very hard time and putting him through complete hell,not the band members.it was a very sad ending ,rest in peace Steve.🙏🙏
@@Johnny747CB At the end of the day, how much of a safety net were the other three members of the act? With friends like them, was there any room left for enemies? God bless you always!!! Holly in east Tennessee
Saw The Oak Ridge Boys in 2015 at COUNTRY TONITE Theater in Pigeon Forge and at the Georgia National Fair in 2019 in Perry, Georgia. They put on great shows. Richard Sterban who does the bass parts of American Made, Elvira, and Bobbie Sue was in an interview back in 2013 with this lady talking about his book called From Elvis to Elvira and after he talked about the book, he told her that while they were celebrating 40 years touring, it is by no means their farewell tour. He said they do not plan to retire.
Thank you for being a fan of Steve. I only just officially discovered him a year ago. I was still a kid during his years with the other ORB and so I remember very little which sadly includes the one and only time that I saw him with the other ORB. The only thing that I remember about that show is Joe saying that his favorite animal to see were the cats. (Their show was at the Cincinnati Zoo in the early 90's.) If you were ever able to see them, I would so appreciate it if you would tell me about Steve, I love him so much. God bless you and his family always!!! Holly in East Tennessee (age 36 at the end of next month)
Well its been 20 years now since Steve went forward, yesterday was the day, if only I had discovered him sooner, I love him SO much!!! (burying my head) God bless you and his family always!!! Holly in East Tennessee
@@SweetHeartHolly1982 he was great. You wonder where he would be now with his talent. He had a beautiful voice. I saw them at a county fair - Wisconsin. He was awesome! Haven't seen them since. Just not the same without him.
I was ten years old in 1975,when I first heard Elvira. That's when I was hooked on the oak ridge boys. Doesn't matter the race,these boys can sing any place. After hearing the bass singer,I rate him behind only Melvin Franklin of the Temptations. Matter of fact,I rename the oak boys the white Temptations. Keep up the great music boys.
Youst to sing at our home church and on the districts of Fayetteville NC great memories I wasn't a teenager but heard gospel till they went country precious memories hated when Steve passed keep.going boys 🙌🙌🙏❤️🎶🎤✝️✝️✝️
Steve sure came in handy when William Lee to leave ; I think all of you should get on your knees and thank God he was here to fill in ; even if he died at his own hand and what a singer ........ and always brought a smile to your face
Absolutely! He supplied a great addition to the of three and they had some albums with him as a equal part of the voice sound and harmony and they were a different genre slightly but music evolved at the time anyway from Hank Jr and George Straight to Garth Brooks and Blake Shelton types anyway so natural progression of music and Golden did not fit that at the time.
What a great, great great show. I had seen them a number of times during that era and while they tend to gloss over the Steve Sanders years these days, there is no argument that they still made some great music then.
Well its been 20 years now since Steve went forward, yesterday was the day, if only I had discovered him sooner, I love him SO much!!! (burying my head) God bless you and his family always!!! Holly in East Tennessee
That was the year that country music completely purged the classic artists in favor of the Garth Brooks crowd. A very sad time for the Oak Ridge Boys and their contemporaries. It was similar to what happened with classic rock artists when the grunge invasion started at about the same time.
Well its been 20 years now since Steve went forward, yesterday was the day, if only I had discovered him sooner, I love him SO much!!! (burying my head) God bless you and his family always!!! Holly in East Tennessee
He replaced William Lee Golden from 1987-95. Supposedly, William was fired because the others were uncomfortable with his physical appearance. Then Steve left amid very serious problems with his ex-wife, who was trying to make life miserable for him and his current wife, Janet. Finally, Steve was driven over the edge and committed suicide in 1998
There should be a way of making first wife pay for his untimely death. She was the reason for his great losses including his dismissal from Oakridge and his life.
They werent the Oak Ridge Boys without William Lee Golden no matter who was in his place, just like Fleetwood Mac isnt Fleetwood Mac without Lindsey Buckingham!
Excellent! More of Steve Sanders for me to love then! (smiles) God bless you and those who have loved him longer than me always!!! Holly in East Tennessee (forever wishing that I had officially discovered him sooner) P.S. I call dibs on his cremated ashes and I don't care how creepy that makes me look.
I believe he was very good and they had great albums with him but totally different from Golden and incomparable really. I like both. The song Turning For Home is a good one with Steve Sanders a little more real country style. Golden is a gospel singer from the heart and that makes him such a powerhouse addition to the other three gospel powerhouses. Saunders lacked that part imo
Richard Sterban was on point here and according to JD Sumner was on a high level in bass singing skill around when he turned 35 and after with a wide range with increased low end from maturing into it. What a career Richard Sterban has had with the likes of Elvis, JD Sumner and the other members of the Stamps Quartet who are amazing along with the famous instrumentalists in Elvis band like the gutarist and The Sweet Inspirations girls backup who all jammed together long hours and exposure to the great southern gospel musicians and rock and roll and country legends he gained exposure to and to sing with and straight to fifty years as the bass singer for the Oak Ridge Boys with a stellar career that gave him an iconic part universal known. Pretty impressive and the Elvira bass solo is almost no comparison to the lifetime paid his dues and been around the block and when he did go around the block he was hanging with the greatest legends this country has produced. He definitely ranks in my top five or ten bass singers pretty high on list. Paired with JD Sumner with his voice far less deep but very melodic and smooth like 19 or 20 vs 40 yrs old the two had a unique effect on the quartet sound and with Elvis singing lead and/or trading lead with Ed Enoch plus two other baritones and a great tenor the music was powerful and reached the world in first satellite global live broadcast ever from Hawaii. Impressive Legend status career for Richard Sterban and for a bass singer that is rare and maybe still under recognized on all levels and considerated as a life time in American music rock and country and gospel.
This is the first time I saw Steve sing Elvira and Bobbie Sue. He was so gifted.
Have seen these guys in concert for 41 years, never disappointed. OAK'S FOREVER
God bless you! Jesus saves
Rest in peace to both Steve and Joe. They're singing together again. ❤❤
It was a huge loss when Steve Sanders died ! He was so expressive with every song that he sang ♥️
One thing is for sure You don't find many groups singing together these days Oakridge boys are an awsome group they are are blessed
Can you believe that its been 20 years now since Steve went forward, June 10th was the day, if only I had discovered him sooner, I love him SO much!!! (burying my head)
God bless you and his family always!!!
Holly in East Tennessee
😢
God bless you! Jesus saves
Best thing that happened he left .& Williams Golden came back the way we all like it sounds so much better 👍
Can't change the past. I love Steve Sanders contribution.
It's okay to be wrong
@@ladyspookums Agreed. I liked Sanders better. He took more lead parts than Golden because he had the better voice.
Love the oak ridge boys. They are the best
i LOVED WHEN HE SANG BEYOND THOSE YEARS HE MADE YOU FEEL EVERY TEAR AND YEAR ...... I PRAY YOU FOUND PEACE STEVE !!!!!!
I love Joe’s voice too ! He is quite the performer also
I love the Oak Ridge boys
Sometimes I wonder where Steve would be today in regards to his career, if he was still with us.
What I would like to know is how things were going for him exactly just before his going forward. That awful day was just before his son's birthday. (shaking my head)
God bless you and his boy always!!!
Holly in East Tennessee
P.S. I know about his boy's birthday because I used to write to him on Face Book. Sadly though his Face Book page was taken away and to this day I still do not know why. If he was being given any kind of hard time by another person there, I would like to kick that other person where it hurts because his boy couldn't have been anymore of a gentlemen to me. (burying my head)
@@SweetHeartHolly1982 I read that he was still being tormented by his ex-wife and more litigation papers were brought to his residence a few hours after he committed suicide. I'm not saying that he was completely blameless in his problems with his ex-wife, because I don't know that, but she clearly was motivated by pure vindictiveness, in the hope of making Steve and his wife Janet as miserable as possible, and I guess she finally drove him to his breaking point.
i have read that The Oak Ridge Boys had previously been an opening act for Steve Sanders...then known as "Little Stevie Sanders", who was quite a singing sensative during childhood and the teen years. I remember watching him on "The Gospel Singing Jubilee". (Note: this might have been an earlier edition of the ORB...)
Glad I got to see them in concert a couple of years ago. Glad there are so many videos and recordings of them.
I'm seeing this in 2024, just days after the passing of Joe Bonsall, and I confess that I had not seen Steve Sanders before....he was certainly more animated than William Golden, but I like Golden's contribution better.
Iove the oakridge boys their singing and their songs the good old gospel music is still here to stay so keep it up thanks you guy's
Oh my goodness yes! I never get tired of looking at him & hearing him sing. ooodalally!
Thank you so much for leaving this clip up here, I love to watch Steve sing in it so much. (forever wishing I had discovered him sooner)
God bless you and his family always!!!
Holly in East Tennessee
i listen to this guys all the time. i love them
Lucky Moon! That's my song at 47:15
Great songs in the albums that came out around those years the Oak Ridge Boys
Just awesome! Simpler times, great people and music that meant something and was real- not the crap that's out there today...
The Oaks were and are a family not just a group whether it be Steve or William Lee; Rip Steve you are greatly missed
Well its been 20 years now since Steve went forward, yesterday was the day, if only I had discovered him sooner, I love him SO much!!! (burying my head)
God bless you and his family always!!!
Holly in East Tennessee
Glad William Lee returned. He's great!
@@nancyhickman9850 ... Agreed WLG is ORB OG
I know many people disagree with me, but I firmly believe the Oak Ridge Boys were at their best with Steve Sanders.
I'm old enough to remember Sanders in the early 70's when he was justa boy singing gospel songs. He was Good at it. I would like to know why he put a gun to his head. His on stage presents didn't give nothing away. But I don't think William Lee Golden was well replaced by anyone. I met Golden at an amusement park once while he was out of the Oaks and we just talked about the music he and his boys were doing at the time. But I don't believe his spot was ever filled till he went back. He is, along with Duane a founding member.
I agree, I don’t care for the hairy guy.
I'm sorry, I grew up with my lovable mountain man. My mom got me stuck on them when I was just a wee little lass. So many concerts I've been to when I was the youngest in the audience to know all the words to every single song. It started at about 7 years old. 40 years later, I still love them! However, I didn't even realize that they ever had another singer. So sad the way he left this world for the next. 😢
Those albums with Steve Sanders I guess from late 80s or possibly mid 80s through when I remember he left the band for some unfortunate reason were absolutely awesome imo and the patriotic themed songs were really good and timely at end of cold war and the country was in a up surge in patriotic vibes. So hell yes that was impressive music and the albums were becoming better as time went on like the songs Fall and Lucky Moon were involvement into a good direction.
@@kellylausman259if you really look at the albums that they did those years with Steve Sanders you might dig them a lot. Four or five super albums around late 80s to early 90s I actually was excited knowing to next was bring released soon and got it from the mall music store release day only one CD the rest cassette. Still have one. People are surprised is I play this stuff for them cause it is not well known but everyone loves it.
Steve was the best. He made the Oaks complete. Too bad his life ended too short. RIP Steve.
You couldn't have said it better about Steve making the act complete. Sadly the brain trains of the other members could only travel so far. (shaking my head)
God bless you and those who have loved Steve longer than me always!!!
Holly in East Tennessee (forever wishing that I had discovered him sooner)
@@SweetHeartHolly1982 I saw those guys at a fair in Wisconsin. Steve was the best lead singer they had. Not sure why they would've replaced him. They're just not the same anymore - can't even go to see them without him. Sad.
@@bonniewells9208, Steve unexpectedly left them. Right before a concert, he called & said he wasn’t coming. Sadly he had personal problems,
@@SweetHeartHolly1982 I believe it was his ex wife that was really giving Steve a very hard time and putting him through complete hell,not the band members.it was a very sad ending ,rest in peace Steve.🙏🙏
@@Johnny747CB At the end of the day, how much of a safety net were the other three members of the act? With friends like them, was there any room left for enemies? God bless you always!!! Holly in east Tennessee
Saw The Oak Ridge Boys in 2015 at COUNTRY TONITE Theater in Pigeon Forge and at the Georgia National Fair in 2019 in Perry, Georgia. They put on great shows.
Richard Sterban who does the bass parts of American Made, Elvira, and Bobbie Sue was in an interview back in 2013 with this lady talking about his book called From Elvis to Elvira and after he talked about the book, he told her that while they were celebrating 40 years touring, it is by no means their farewell tour. He said they do not plan to retire.
I miss Steve's sound. And he had a great stage presence as well.
Thank you for being a fan of Steve. I only just officially discovered him a year ago. I was still a kid during his years with the other ORB and so I remember very little which sadly includes the one and only time that I saw him with the other ORB. The only thing that I remember about that show is Joe saying that his favorite animal to see were the cats. (Their show was at the Cincinnati Zoo in the early 90's.) If you were ever able to see them, I would so appreciate it if you would tell me about Steve, I love him so much.
God bless you and his family always!!!
Holly in East Tennessee (age 36 at the end of next month)
Well its been 20 years now since Steve went forward, yesterday was the day, if only I had discovered him sooner, I love him SO much!!! (burying my head)
God bless you and his family always!!!
Holly in East Tennessee
@@SweetHeartHolly1982 he was great. You wonder where he would be now with his talent. He had a beautiful voice. I saw them at a county fair - Wisconsin. He was awesome! Haven't seen them since. Just not the same without him.
I was ten years old in 1975,when I first heard Elvira. That's when I was hooked on the oak ridge boys. Doesn't matter the race,these boys can sing any place. After hearing the bass singer,I rate him behind only Melvin Franklin of the Temptations. Matter of fact,I rename the oak boys the white Temptations. Keep up the great music boys.
Elvira came out in 1981
Could listen to "Dream On" for days.love how Richard Sterban OWNS the "oom pappa mow mow!"
Long before my husband, I wore out the copy I had of that album! Dream On gives me warm fuzzies!
So many memories. My mom and I sat and watched this when it aired.
Youst to sing at our home church and on the districts of Fayetteville NC great memories I wasn't a teenager but heard gospel till they went country precious memories hated when Steve passed keep.going boys 🙌🙌🙏❤️🎶🎤✝️✝️✝️
Thanks for sharing! I haven't seen this since I put it on VHS in 1992. I appreciate all your videos...
THIS IS MY FIRST TIME SEEING THIS FOOTAGE???
HOW DID I HAPPEN TO MISS THIS CONCERT???
The Boys still laying out the tunes and not missing a beat.
they all looked so good then and lively!
😊❤ love,love the Oakridge Boys😮
That was Excellent!!! Thanks for posting
Sang it emmylou 🙌🙌🙏❤️💙🎶🎤✝️
I love Oaks. From Spain.
Steve sure came in handy when William Lee to leave ; I think all of you should get on your knees and thank God he was here to fill in ; even if he died at his own hand and what a singer ........ and always brought a smile to your face
Absolutely! He supplied a great addition to the of three and they had some albums with him as a equal part of the voice sound and harmony and they were a different genre slightly but music evolved at the time anyway from Hank Jr and George Straight to Garth Brooks and Blake Shelton types anyway so natural progression of music and Golden did not fit that at the time.
Uplifting music
Sang it Dwayne and boys come on 🙌🙌🙏❤️💙🎶🎤🎤💃💃💃💃💃💃💃💃💃💃💃
Nice video was born in 92
Thank u🙏♥️
Work Missouri state fair back stage meet all oak ridge boys 6 time once Boonville casino 2010 last time great group
What a great, great great show. I had seen them a number of times during that era and while they tend to gloss over the Steve Sanders years these days, there is no argument that they still made some great music then.
Well its been 20 years now since Steve went forward, yesterday was the day, if only I had discovered him sooner, I love him SO much!!! (burying my head)
God bless you and his family always!!!
Holly in East Tennessee
Thank you so much for your support, I love him so much!!!
God bless you always!!!
Holly in East Tennessee
@Mike Wilson me, too. He was an awesome lead! Miss him!
very upbeat
I MISS THE TIMES WHEN "ACE" (DUANE) PLAYS/PLAYED GUITAR...!!! :/
Best harmony
Rest easy Joe
MAY BE A SOUTHERN MUSIC GROUP bBUT THEY ARE WELL KNOWN NOW , LOVE THEIR MUSIC !!!!!!!
The boys could make the phone book sound good!
That was the year that country music completely purged the classic artists in favor of the Garth Brooks crowd. A very sad time for the Oak Ridge Boys and their contemporaries. It was similar to what happened with classic rock artists when the grunge invasion started at about the same time.
Agree 100% although I happen to like some of the Oak Ridge Boys stuff around that time like the American Family album
Some grudge is alright though. Far better than the current state of the evolution of music
It shame joe not feeling well give up music 2023
Naw...... No one replaces Bill Golden....
From Elvis to Elvira , Richard Sterban is the best bass singer ! ! !
I saw an interview where Richard gave credit to Harold Reid - which I thought was classy.
Who is Steve Sanders?????
***** STEVE HAD A GREAT VOICE..... I ENVISION THAT THE OAKS COULD'VE BEEN A QUINTET.......?
andrew james Why and how five voices? I doubt that they ever used a chord with more than 4 notes (tones).
Well its been 20 years now since Steve went forward, yesterday was the day, if only I had discovered him sooner, I love him SO much!!! (burying my head)
God bless you and his family always!!!
Holly in East Tennessee
He replaced William Lee Golden from 1987-95. Supposedly, William was fired because the others were uncomfortable with his physical appearance. Then Steve left amid very serious problems with his ex-wife, who was trying to make life miserable for him and his current wife, Janet. Finally, Steve was driven over the edge and committed suicide in 1998
Steve’s story is tragic.
The Oaks are far better with Bill as baritone. With Steve they sounded too cosmopolitan.
There should be a way of making first wife pay for his untimely death. She was the reason for his great losses including his dismissal from Oakridge and his life.
They werent the Oak Ridge Boys without William Lee Golden no matter who was in his place, just like Fleetwood Mac isnt Fleetwood Mac without Lindsey Buckingham!
Excellent! More of Steve Sanders for me to love then! (smiles)
God bless you and those who have loved him longer than me always!!!
Holly in East Tennessee (forever wishing that I had officially discovered him sooner)
P.S. I call dibs on his cremated ashes and I don't care how creepy that makes me look.
Agreed 100% ...No WLG No ORB. He is the ORB OG.
I believe he was very good and they had great albums with him but totally different from Golden and incomparable really. I like both. The song Turning For Home is a good one with Steve Sanders a little more real country style. Golden is a gospel singer from the heart and that makes him such a powerhouse addition to the other three gospel powerhouses. Saunders lacked that part imo
♥♥♥♥