Richard Sterban, Bass Voice Behind 'Elvira,' Dies at 83

Richard Sterban, the Oak Ridge Boys bass singer whose "oom papa mow mow" turned "Elvira" into a country classic, died November 14 in Hendersonville, Tennessee, after a battle with cancer. He was 83.

For more than half a century, his deep voice anchored one of American music's most durable vocal groups. "We appreciate all of your love, support, and prayers," his family said. "Please continue to lift us up in this difficult time, we find comfort knowing that he is currently face to face with Jesus."

How a gospel kid from New Jersey reached the Grand Ole Opry

Sterban was born April 24, 1943, in Camden, New Jersey, and grew up in Collingswood, just across the river from Philadelphia. He graduated from Collingswood High School and attended Trenton State College, now The College of New Jersey.

Gospel harmony came first. He was a founding member of the Keystones, a northeastern gospel quartet, where he met a young tenor named Joe Bonsall. His break arrived with J.D. Sumner and the Stamps Quartet, singing backup for Elvis Presley and appearing in the documentary Elvis on Tour.

Then, in late 1972, he walked away from the King's stage to join the Oak Ridge Boys, alongside lead singer Duane Allen and baritone William Lee Golden. "I wanted to be in the best vocal group in the world," he once said. A year later Bonsall joined as tenor, completing a lineup that stayed together, mostly intact, for the next five decades.

What did that bass line actually do for "Elvira"?

It carried the song. In 1981, Sterban's booming bass hook on Dallas Frazier's "Elvira" made it a #1 country smash and a top five pop hit. That low register line is the part crowds still shout back. He also took lead vocals on the group's cover of the Righteous Brothers' "Dream On," which reached the country top 10.

The hits kept coming:

• "Bobbie Sue"
• "American Made"
• "Thank God for Kids"
• "Y'all Come Back Saloon"

Together, those songs filled arenas worldwide and pushed a Southern gospel quartet into the heart of country and pop. In 2015, Sterban and his bandmates entered the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Life off stage, and a late comeback

Sterban's voice reached beyond the concert circuit. He recorded public service announcements for NOAA Weather Radio, served as the voice of the classic country channel The Roadhouse on Sirius Satellite Radio, and held a minority stake in the Nashville Sounds minor league baseball team from 1978 to 2008.

When Bonsall died in 2024, Sterban called him his best friend for many years. In September 2025, after performing with the Oaks at the 60th Academy of Country Music Awards, he disclosed he was being treated for pancreatic cancer. He kept singing anyway. In January 2026 he returned to the stage at the Grand Ole Opry and sang on "Mama's Boys," the group's first album with new tenor Ben James.

"Having Richard on stage with us again was one of God's greatest blessings," Duane Allen said.

Sterban's arc ran from gospel quartets in New Jersey to backing Elvis to half a century with the Oaks. And every time an audience joins in on that "oom papa mow mow," his bass will still be leading them.