Oak Ridge Boys bassist Richard Sterban has died

The Oak Ridge Boys bassist Richard Sturban has died at the age of 83 in Tennessee. The cause of death was complications of bronchitis and pneumonia after a long battle with cancer. This was reported by the family of the musician and the team, reports Associated Press.

Sterban died in Hendersonville. He joined The Oak Ridge Boys in 1972, leaving backing vocalist Elvis Presley. The musician performed with the band until 2025, when his health deteriorated.

The Oak Ridge Boys have won the Grammy Award five times and been nominated 23 times. The band toured with Johnny Cash and recorded backing vocals for Paul Simon's Slip Slidin' Away. In 2015, Sterban and three other band members were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Its leader Kyle Young called the musician a fundamental figure of the genre and noted his contribution to the development of country music.

The Oak Ridge Boys peaked in the 1980s. Among the band's biggest hits were Elvira (1981), Bobbie Sue (1982) and American Made (1983). The composition Elvira became a real hit outside the country audience: it took first place in the country chart and fifth place in the overall hit parade Billboard Hot 100.

Sterban is survived by wife Donna, daughters Lauren and Tory, sons Rich, Doug and Chris, as well as 11 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.