The band was originally formed by another country band called Wally Fowler and the Georgia Clodhoppers, who were booked to play a show at a nuclear research plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee for the staff and their families. The group went down so well that they were invited back time and time again, until the band decided to pay tribute to them and changed their name to The Oak Ridge Quartet. By 1947, this new, acapella incarnation group had made such a name for themselves that they had performed their first slot at the Grand Ole Opry, and been invited into the studio for album releases and radio sessions. However, this didn't stop every member of the band save for Fowler himself leaving in 1949 to set up their own group Curley Kinsey and the Tennessee Ridge Runners.
After hiring an existing vocal troupe, the Calvary Quartet, to carry on as The Oak Ridge Quartet, Fowler retired from the band in 1952, and then sold the rights to the name The Oak Ridge Quartet in 1957 to group member Smitty Gatlin. However, it wasn't until 1962, the change of their name to The Oak Ridge Boys their first album on Warner Bros. Records “With Sounds Of Nashville” that the band broke through into the mainstream. Ever since then, the irony of The Oak Ridge Boys has been that while the music has continued to stay pretty much the same over the course of their near-70 year history, the band's line up has shifted radically, with 32 separate singers coming and going over the course of their career.
Their lead singer, Duane Allen, has lead the band since 1966, however, in one of the greatest runs in the history of popular music, the band continues to delight audiences to this very day. For being one of the very few legendary acts that live up to their status time and time again, The Oak Ridge Boys come highly recommended.
With a musical history stemming back as far as the 1940’s, vocal quartet The Oak Ridge Boys have meandered from Southern Gospel to Country, eventually solidifying their image and sound in the latter. Over their long-lasting career spanning over six decades, the band have recorded and released over thirty-one studio albums and have achieved seventeen number one singles. Largely known for their popular crossover hits ‘Elvira’, ‘Bobbie Sue’ and ‘American Made’, The Oak Ridge Boys have built their legacy and kept it thriving receiving accolades left, right and centre. Relentlessly touring all America for several years has created a legion of loyal fans who have vigilantly followed and supported their career.
With a diverse and thirsty audience, the band cater for all playing a good mixture of classics and new material from their extensive repertoire. Their happy-go-lucky rock and roll country infused sound creates an infectious and electric atmosphere as the crowd can’t help but get up and dance whilst clapping along to the beat. Playing a selection of hits such as ‘Same Ole Me’, ‘I Guess It Never Hurts to Hurt Sometimes’ and ‘Touch a Hand, Make a Friend’, their love for the genre radiates through the room as the deliver their tight four part harmony to a pitch perfect standard. With high energy and passionate performances enough to warm your heart, after all these years The Oak Ridge Boys still know how to bring the house down.
EvieCriedWolf
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