Richard Sterban, a member of quartet The Oak Ridge Boys for more than five decades, revealed on (Thursday) Sept. 25 that he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in March of this year.
“I am under the care of the best cancer doctors in the country and, with the help of the Good Lord above, I believe I will be able to get through this,” Sterban said in a statement. He added, “I want to thank everyone, especially the fans, for your concern, and I would appreciate your continued prayers. Most days I’m feeling very good, and I hope to be back out on the road in several months.”
Sterban, whose signature bass vocals are a defining feature of such Oak Ridge Boys songs as their Billboard Hot 100 top 5 hit “Elvira,” most recently performed with the group at the Academy of Country Music Awards in May. Since then, Aaron McCune and Tim Duncan have been filling in for Sterban on tour.
New Jersey native Sterban joined The Oak Ridge Boys in 1972. Prior to joining the group, he sang with J.D. Sumner and the Stamps Quartet, through which he also performed and recorded with Elvis Presley, and appeared in one of Presley’s movies, Elvis on Tour.
The Oak Ridge Boys have earned five Grammy Awards, nine GMA Dove Awards and two American Music Awards. The group was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2000, into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2015 and have been members of the Grand Ole Opry since 2011. Among the group’s 17 No. 1s on Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart are “Elvira,” “Bobbie Sue,” “American Made” and “Leaving Louisiana In Broad Daylight.”
The lineup of Sterban, Joe Bonsall, William Lee Golden and Duane Allen performed together for five decades, marking the group’s longest-running lineup. Bonsall announced his retirement in January 2024 and was replaced by vocalist Ben James. Bonsall died on July 9, 2024, at age 76.
