Richard Sterban, longtime Oak Ridge Boys bass singer, dies at 83

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV/Gray News) - Richard Sterban, the longtime bass singer for the Oak Ridge Boys whose deep voice became a signature of the group’s hit “Elvira,” has died. He was 83.

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum lists Sterban’s date of death as Nov. 14, 2026. A cause of death was not included in the museum’s announcement.

“It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our partner and brother, Richard Sterban,” the Oak Ridge Boys said in a statement on social media.

A voice behind the Oak Ridge Boys’ hits

Born in Camden, New Jersey, on April 24, 1943, Sterban sang with J.D. Sumner and the Stamps, a gospel group that performed with Elvis Presley, before joining the Oak Ridge Boys in 1972, according to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

The Oak Ridge Boys’ 1981 hit “Elvira,” featuring Sterban’s bass vocals, reached No. 1 on the country chart and No. 5 on the pop chart, according to the museum. The group was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2015.

“Richard Sterban was a musical bridge builder,” museum CEO Kyle Young said in a statement. “He used his unmistakable bass voice to connect commercial country music to its deep gospel roots.”