Richard Sterban, the longtime bass singer for the Oak Ridge Boys, has died at 83.
Sterban, 83, died Saturday at his home in Hendersonville, Tenn., from complications of bronchitis and pneumonia following a long battle with cancer, according to a statement from his family and the band’s rep.
“We appreciate all of your love, support, and prayers. Please continue to lift us up in this difficult time, we find comfort knowing that he is currently face to face with Jesus,” his family said in a statement.
Sterban became best known for his signature “oom poppa mow mow” bass line in the Oak Ridge Boys’ 1981 smash “Elvira,” which reached No. 1 on the country chart and No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and helped propel the group into mainstream success. Other hits included “Bobbie Sue” and “American Made.”
Born in 1943 in Camden, NJ, Sterban grew up in nearby Collingswood and began singing in Sunday school at age 6 as a soprano, before his voice dropped to the deep bass that became his trademark. He graduated from Collingswood High School and went on to study music at Trenton State College, now known as the College of New Jersey.
Sterban moved to Nashville in 1970, where he worked as a backup singer for Elvis Presley. He left that job in 1972 to join the Oak Ridge Boys, alongside lead singer Duane Allen, baritone William Lee Golden and tenor Joe Bonsall.
Over the years, the Oak Ridge Boys scored 34 country Top 10 singles, including 17 No. 1 hits, and won five Grammy Awards. They also performed for multiple presidents, toured with Johnny Cash and provided backup vocals on Paul Simon’s “Slip Slidin’ Away.” The quartet was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2015.
Country Music Hall of Fame CEO Kyle Young remembered Sterban as a key figure in the genre.
“He used his unmistakable bass voice to connect commercial country music to its deep gospel roots,” Young said, calling him “a steady force and a foundational figure in country music.”
“He will go down in history as one of the greatest bass singers of all time,” Grand Ole Opry member T. Graham Brown said in tribute to Sterban.
Sterban called Hendersonville home for more than 50 years. In October 2025, the city dedicated the Oak Ridge Boys Bridge over Drakes Creek on Johnny Cash Parkway in the group’s honor.
“There is no greater honor than to be honored by your hometown,” Sterban said at the time.
Sterban was forced to step away from touring with the quartet in 2025 due to health issues, but reunited with the group in January 2026 to perform “Elvira” at the Grand Ole Opry. He is survived by his wife, Donna; daughters Lauren and Tori; sons Rich, Doug and Chris; eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.