Richard Sterban
Richard Sterban | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | Richard Anthony Sterban |
Born | Camden, New Jersey, U.S. | April 24, 1943
Genres | Country, gospel |
Occupation(s) | Bass singer |
Years active | 1972–present |
Associated acts | The Oak Ridge Boys, Elvis Presley, J.D. Sumner and the Stamps, Johnny Cash |
Website | oakridgeboys.com |
Richard Anthony Sterban (born April 24, 1943) is an American singer. He was born in Camden, New Jersey. He joined the country and gospel quartet The Oak Ridge Boys in 1972.
Personal life[]
Born in Camden, New Jersey, Sterban grew up in Collingswood, New Jersey,[1] After graduating from Collingswood High School, Sterban attended Trenton State College (now The College of New Jersey).[2]
He lives in Hendersonville, Tennessee, with his wife, Donna, and two daughters. Richard also has three sons from a previous marriage and several grandchildren, including Mali Sterban.[citation needed]
Career[]
Prior to joining The Oak Ridge Boys, Sterban toured with J. D. Sumner and the Stamps Quartet, who were singing backup for Elvis Presley at that time. Sterban ultimately became best known for his "oom-pa-pa-oom-pa-pa-oom-pa-pa-mow-mow" bass solo in the Oak Ridge Boys' 1981 single "Elvira" and sang lead vocals on a select few of the group's songs, including a cover of The Righteous Brothers' hit "Dream On", which was a top-ten hit.
Sterban has recorded public service announcements for NOAA Weather Radio. He served as the voice of The Roadhouse, the classic country Sirius Satellite Radio channel. Sterban, along with entrepreneur Larry Schmittou and other country music stars, such as Conway Twitty, Larry Gatlin, and Cal Smith, was a minority owner of the Nashville Sounds minor league baseball team from 1978 to 2008.[3]
References[]
- ^ DeLuca, Dan. "Today's Walk Of Fame Honorees Include 2 Oak Ridge Boys Just A Couple Of Philly-area Country Boys", The Philadelphia Inquirer, April 28, 1994. Accessed March 10, 2011. "Bonsall grew up in the Harrowgate section of Philadelphia, near the Tioga Street el stop; Sterban was born across the river in Camden and grew up in Collingswood."
- ^ Lloyd, Jack. "Sturdy Oaks And A Country Boy From Phila.", The Philadelphia Inquirer, February 22, 1991. Accessed November 13, 2013. "The remaining member of the Oaks, Richard Sterban, is a native of Camden who graduated from Collingswood High School and attended Trenton State College."
- ^ Woody, Larry (1996), Schmittou: A Grand Slam in Baseball, Business, and Life, Nashville: Eggmann Publishing Company, pp. 64–65, ISBN 1886371334
- 1943 births
- American basses
- American country singer-songwriters
- Collingswood High School alumni
- Living people
- Musicians from Camden, New Jersey
- People from Collingswood, New Jersey
- Songwriters from New Jersey
- The College of New Jersey alumni
- The Oak Ridge Boys members
- Country musicians from New Jersey