There have been legendary groups and bands in the history of Country Music.

You can go all the way back to names like 'The Drifting Cowboys', 'The Texas Troubadors', 'The Buckaroo's', and so many more.

There have been great bands, musicians and artist's...names like 'The Statler Brothers' and 'Alabama'.

And let's not forget the Oak Ridge Boys.  But apparently, we have forgotten them.

Before the Oaks came to the attention of mainstream country music fans, they already had a phenomenal gospel history, having been formed in the 1940's as the Oak Ridge Quartet.  They were hugely successful in Southern Gospel circles through the 1950's and officially changed their name in the 1960's to the Oak Ridge Boys.

But for our purposes here, let's talk Country Music.

It was in the 1970's, I was working at KWYR in Winner, S.D., just a young pup back then, when I first heard a song called 'Ya'll Come Back Saloon'.  I wasn't familiar with the history of this group, so to me the Oak Ridge Boys were new.  But they wouldn't be 'new' for long.

Since that first 1977 Top Ten country hit, the Oaks have amassed over 30 Top Ten country hits, including 17 number one hits....that's right, seventeen #1's!

And of course, the Oak Ridge Boys had one of the great sing-a-long songs ever recorded.  So go ahead, lets all sing along again to 'Elvira'.

 

 

Joe, Duane, William Lee and Richard have had a Hall of Fame career.  Isn't it time for them to take their rightful place alongside the other Hall of Famers?

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