For more than 50 years, the deepest voice in The Oak Ridge Boys belonged to Richard Sterban. So when he disappeared from the road in the spring of 2025, fans noticed. This past January, at the Grand Ole Opry, they finally saw him again, and he came back in the middle of the very song his voice made famous.
The Diagnosis He Kept Quiet for Months
Richard Sterban stopped touring with The Oak Ridge Boys in mid-May 2025. At first, the reason was not made public.
Then, on September 25, 2025, he shared the reason himself. He had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in March of that year. He said he was under the care of top cancer doctors, that most days he felt very good, and that he hoped to be back on the road in several months.
“With the help of the Good Lord above, I believe I will be able to get through this.”
He thanked the fans for their concern and asked for one thing: their continued prayers.
The news landed hard. The Oak Ridge Boys had already lost tenor Joe Bonsall to ALS in July 2024. Now another longtime member was facing a serious illness.
The Man Who Kept His Part Alive
While Richard was away, the bass parts did not go silent. Aaron McCune, the bass singer for the bluegrass and gospel duo Dailey & Vincent, had already been filling in on tour when needed since 2022. Tim Duncan also stepped in for some shows.
Singing Richard Sterban’s parts is no small job. His low notes on “Elvira” are among the most recognizable sounds in country music. The song, written by Dallas Frazier, went to No. 1 on the country chart in 1981, reached the Top 5 on the pop chart, and won The Oak Ridge Boys a Grammy. Richard has said that at shows he often sees men in the crowd trying to hit those low notes along with him.
For months, it was Aaron McCune singing them.
“My Hero… Richard Sterban”
On January 30 and 31, 2026, The Oak Ridge Boys played the Grand Ole Opry, the place that made them members in 2011.
When the group launched into “Elvira,” Aaron McCune had a surprise for the audience. In the middle of the song, he introduced the man whose part he had been singing.
“My hero… Richard Sterban.”
Richard came out from backstage and sang “Elvira” with his bandmates again.
That introduction says a lot. The man who had been filling in did not treat the moment as his own. He handed it back, and called Richard his hero while he did it.
“One of God’s Greatest Blessings”
Duane Allen, who has sung lead for The Oak Ridge Boys since 1966, did not hide what it meant to him. He called it a soul-stirring experience.
“Having Richard on stage with us again was one of God’s greatest blessings.”
Fans felt it too. One wrote that they were simply thankful to see Richard back on stage with the rest of the guys. Another said they were in tears of joy watching it.
It made sense. Richard joined The Oak Ridge Boys in 1972, leaving a job singing behind Elvis Presley with J.D. Sumner and the Stamps to do it. For a lot of fans, his voice has been part of their lives for as long as they have loved country music.
Where Things Stand Now
The Opry appearance was a joyful moment, but it was not a full return to the road. In 2026, Aaron McCune continues to sing bass on tour, while Richard has taken a limited role when the group performs in Nashville. There has been no public update saying his cancer is gone. In his own statement, he put his trust in his doctors, his faith, and the prayers of his fans.
For two nights in January, though, the voice behind one of country music’s most famous bass lines was back where it belonged, on the Opry stage, singing “Elvira” with the group he has called home for more than half a century.
Do you remember the first time you heard Richard Sterban hit those low notes on “Elvira”? Share your memory in the comments.