The Boys are back in town

Richard Sterban, longtime bass singer with the Oak Ridge Boys, has had more than his share of exciting “chill bump” moments during his illustrious career.

As a member of J.D. Sumner’s Stamps Quartet in the early 1970s, he backed Elvis Presley. The King’s motto was “taking care of business in a flash,” for which he designed a logo represented by the letters TCB and a lightning bolt.

Sterban had one of those memorable shiver moments when Presley hung a gold TCB pendant around his neck and said, “Welcome to the Memphis Mafia.” But few events in Sterban’s life have made his skin buzz more than a trip back in time to the Oak Ridge Boys’ roots.

“We have a fascinating history that goes back to the Second World War,” Sterban said recently via telephone. “During the war, there was a group of singers known as the Georgia Clodhoppers.

“They needed a name change, no doubt about it. But they would entertain the people involved in the Manhattan Project [code name for the development of the atomic bomb] at Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where they were enriching uranium.

“It was top-secret stuff, and the workers couldn’t leave because of security reasons. So the singers would go to them, and as a result of going to Oak Ridge they became known as the Oak Ridge Quartet.”

The group evolved into the Oak Ridge Boys in the late 1950s, becoming one of the most enduring and popular singing acts in country music history. They will be performing at the Paramount Theater at 8 p.m. Sunday in support of their latest album, “The Boys Are Back.”

The group’s latest CD showcases its diversity and willingness to broaden its musical horizons. It came about as the result of a collaboration the singers did with Shooter Jennings, son of country music great Waylon Jennings.

“A couple years ago Shooter called us and said he had written a song called ‘Slow Train,’ and he wanted us to sing it with him for his album ‘The Wolf,’ ” Sterban said. “We did that, and after the album was released Shooter had a showcase here in Nashville to introduce it.

“The place was packed with young kids, and after we sang ‘Slow Train’ with Shooter, we sang ‘Elvira.’ The place went crazy. When we saw the reaction we got, we figured we could record a project that would appeal to them and help us acquire younger fans.

“We had met Shooter’s producer, a young fellow named David Cobb, and hit it off with him. One thing led to the next, and we worked it out so he could produce a project for us — ‘The Boys Are Back.’ ”

Normally Duane Allen, the Oaks’ lead singer, searches out new material for the group to cover. In this case Cobb did the selecting — and quickly made it clear that this album was going to blaze a new musical trail for Allen, Sterban, Joe Bonsall and William Lee Golden.

“The first song David Cobb sent us was ‘Seven Nation Army,’ that Jack White wrote and had a big rock hit with his group the White Stripes,” Sterban said. “When we heard that song, we realized this project was going to be different, because we never would have recorded that song on our own.

“But it has gotten us more reaction than anything we’ve done in a long time. I also do the John Lee Hooker song ‘Boom, Boom,’ and we did a song by Neil Young, ‘Beautiful Bluebird.’

“To honor our gospel heritage we did a few gospel songs on this project as well. David found us an old gospel song called ‘Troublin’ Mind.’ The song is so old that he had to go to the Smithsonian Institution to find the lyrics. We tried to do it as genuine as we could.”

Although the Oaks traveled down some mighty different musical roads on their latest album, they won’t forget the songs that made them famous.

“We feel it’s very important to do the songs people expect to hear,” Sterban said. “We’re going to do ‘Elvira,’ ‘Thank God For Kids,’ ‘Y’all Come Back Saloon,’ ‘Dream On,’ ‘GI Joe and Lillie.’ ”

To date the quartet has racked up 23 No. 1 country music hits and has had nearly 50 songs rank high on the charts. Some of the classic tunes, like “Elvira” and “Bobbie Sue,” were hits on both rock and country charts.

“Elvira” earned the Oaks a Grammy in 1982 for best vocal performance by a country group

or duo. They also have been inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame and Gospel Music Hall of Fame, and last year they were presented with the Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award for lifetime achievement by the Academy of Country Music.

A few years ago, the people of Oak Ridge honored the group by naming a street Oak Ridge Boys Way. The daylong celebration included a special tour of the facility that had helped develop the atomic bomb and had given the group its name.

“Touring the atomic energy plant was an amazing experience,” Sterban said. “As a result of seeing that place and touring the whole area, we have a new appreciation for our history and what our group is all about.

“There’s a lot of factors involved in creating a group like ours, and having the longevity and success we’ve enjoyed. I think it’s our solid four-part harmony as much as anything that really makes us different.

“Great material is part of it, too, and the willingness to work hard. Certainly key is the ability to communicate with an audience.

“We have a great stage show and really give people their money’s worth. Wholesome family entertainment is what we’re all about.”

The Oak Ridge Boys will be performing at the Paramount Theater at 8 p.m. Sunday. Tickets range from $39.50 to $54.50, and are available at the Paramount Theater box office, which is open Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., by telephone at 434 979-1333 or online at http://www.theparamount.net.