Richard Sterban, longtime Oak Ridge Boys member known for 'Elvira' solo, dies at 83

Richard Sterban, who lent his bass voice to The Oak Ridge Boys for 54 years, has died, according to the group’s Instagram page, which posted the news Saturday night. 

He died Saturday from complications of bronchitis and pneumonia after fighting "a long, hard battle with cancer," a press release from the band states. He was 83 years old. 

The backstory:

Sterban joined the group in late 1972, joining lead singer Duane Allen, baritone William Lee Golden and tenor Willie Wynn after walking away from a gig as a background singer for Elvis Presley, saying that he "wanted to be in the best vocal group in the world." 

He would cement himself as the voice at the foundation of the group’s four-part harmony and help carry a Southern gospel quartet into the heart of country and pop music. 

The Oak Ridge Boys placed 34 singles in the country Top 10, and 17 of those hit the number one spot. The group earned Grammy, Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music Awards and became members of the Grand Ole Opry, the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame.

For fans, it was his solo in the hit song "Elvira" that he would become most famous for.

Though he stepped away from active touring last year because of health concerns, he continued to make appearances with the group, including two January 2026 reunion appearances at the Grand Ole Opry to sing "Elvira," the song his booming voice made one of the most popular in the group’s history. 

Sterban also sang on several tracks of the group’s October album "Buried Treasures." 

What they're saying:

Having Richard on stage with us again was one of God’s greatest blessings," Allen said.

The Bellamy Brothers posted on X that their hearts were heavy from hearing of his passing.

"Richard’s unmistakable bass voice, alongside the unforgettable energy of the late Joe Bonsall, helped create one of the most legendary sounds in country music," they wrote.

Grand Ole Opry member T. Graham Brown said he had the honor of being Sternam's friend for 40 years.

"He will go down in history as one of the greatest bass singers of all time. You can check his Wikipedia page to read of his remarkable achievements. I did many, many shows with him and The Oak Ridge Boys through the years and became close friends with all of them," he wrote. "Richard was as sweet a man as you could ever hope to meet. Sheila and my prayers are with his family, his many friends and Duane Allen and William Lee Golden. Go rest high on that mountain. my brother."

Dig deeper:

Richard Anthony Sterban was born April 24, 1943, in Camden, New Jersey. He started singing  as a soprano at age 6 in Sunday school and sang as a tenor in his seventh-grade glee club. 

By the time he returned to school for eighth grade, his voice had dropped to bass. 

He studied music at Trenton State College and later said he felt outsung by the other students.

Gospel quartets were his first love and he helped found the Keystones, a group that would introduce him to fellow future Oak Ridge Boy Bonsall. 

Sterban later joined J.D. Sumner and the Stamps Quartet, which Elvis Presley hired to sing behind him. He would share the stage with Presley for about a year and a half before joining the Oak Ridge Boys, replacing bass singer Noel Fox who had left the group. Bonsall would join the group in 1973, replacing Wynn, and forming a lineup that would last for nearly five decades. 

Sterban is survived by his wife, Donna; daughters Lauren and Tori, sons, Rich, Doug, and Chris; multiple grandchildren and great-grandchildren. 

Funeral arrangements had not yet been announced.  

 

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