Richard Sterban, the bass vocalist of The Oak Ridge Boys, died Saturday at 83, his family and band said.
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Richard Sterban, the bass vocalist of the celebrated country and gospel quartet The Oak Ridge Boys, has died at 83, according to a statement from his family and the band.
Sterban had been with the group since 1972 and died in Hendersonville, Tennessee, due to complications from bronchitis and pneumonia after a long battle with cancer, the statement said.
Before joining The Oak Ridge Boys, Sterban left his job as a backup singer for Elvis Presley to pursue work with the vocal group, which became known for its rendition of “Elvira.”
The Oak Ridge Boys won five Grammy Awards and were nominated 23 times. The group performed for presidents, appeared on American Bandstand, and took the stage at the Grammy Awards and the Grand Ole Opry.
Sterban toured regularly with The Oak Ridge Boys until 2025, when his health deteriorated.
The band’s members, including Sterban, were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2015, and into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2001. In 2011, they gained membership in the Grand Ole Opry.
Sterban, a native of Camden, New Jersey, was inducted into the Philadelphia Music Hall of Fame in 1994 alongside Joe Bonsall, another Oak Ridge Boys member who died in 2024.
Country Music Hall of Fame CEO Kyle Young said Sterban “used his unmistakable bass voice to connect commercial country music to its deep gospel roots” and described him as a “steady force and a foundational figure in country music.”
Sterban is survived by his wife, Donna; daughters Lauren and Tori; sons Rich, Doug and Chris; and 11 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
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