Oak Ridge Boys’ reunion joyous

Joe Delaney

Friday, April 5, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

The "new" Oak Ridge Boys, really the "old" Oak Ridge Boys now that William Lee Golden has returned, are making it a joyous reunion as the foursome enters the final week of their first engagement in the MGM Grand's Hollywood Theatre. Golden, lead singer Duane Allen, bouncing Joe Bonsall and basso profundo Richard Sterban are backed by the Mighty Oaks Band in 95 minutes of the best of the Oaks since that first pop hit in 1977, "Y'all Come Back Saloon."

We were at the Landmark doing a talk-radio show in the mid-1970s when the Oak Ridge Boys played there as part of a Country Music USA series. Our first impression was this was the best quartet vocal blend since the Ames Brothers in the late 1940s. At that time, the decision was made to go pop-country and leave the country-gospel field to the Statler Brothers. The hit singles and gold and platinum albums have been plentiful ever since.

"Elvira" gets the biggest response as always, but William Lee Golden's "Thank God for Kids" was a very close second, in a virtual tie with Duane Allen's "I'll Be True to You." There were really two dozen songs and each could qualify as a high spot. If you're an Oaks fan, your plate would have been full. If you're not, the odds are you would be, early in their generous program.

Usually, an opening act, preferably a country-style comedian, would have been required to set up the audience for the headline act. Not this time. The Oak Ridge Boys are an American tradition, in the country-gospel field and post-1973 as pop-country contributors. A gospel segment might be in order next visit.

JOE DELANEY is a SUN entertainment critic.