Richard Sterban, the Oak Ridge Boys bass singer known for the "oom papa mow mow" in the group's 1981 hit "Elvira," has died at 83. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum lists his death as Nov. 14, 2026, and on Saturday posted a tribute from its chief executive, Kyle Young.
"Richard Sterban was a musical bridge builder," Young wrote. "He used his unmistakable bass voice to connect commercial country music to its deep gospel roots."
The museum's page does not give a cause of death, and the band's website had not posted a statement as of Saturday evening. Funeral plans have not been announced.
From Elvis's backup group to the Oak Ridge Boys
Sterban was born April 24, 1943, in Camden, New Jersey. According to the Hall of Fame, he set his sights on singing after hearing the gospel bass J.D. Sumner, and he later joined Sumner's group, the Stamps Quartet, which sang behind Elvis Presley on stage.
He became the Oak Ridge Boys' bass singer in 1972. Tenor Joe Bonsall joined the next year, completing the lineup most fans know: Duane Allen, William Lee Golden, Bonsall and Sterban. By then the group already had three Grammy Awards from its gospel years, and in 1973 Johnny Cash helped it land a Columbia Records contract as it began moving toward country.
"Elvira" and the crossover years
"Elvira" became the group's first crossover hit in 1981, topping the country chart and reaching No. 5 on the pop chart. The Hall of Fame credits Sterban's very low bass part with making the record stick. The song won the Grammy for best country vocal performance by a duo or group. The museum says the band has five Grammys in all.
More No. 1 country records followed, among them "Bobbie Sue" in 1982, which also climbed to No. 12 on the pop chart, and "American Made" a year later. By the museum's count the group has 34 Top 10 hits, 17 of them No. 1s. Sterban and Bonsall were added to the Philadelphia Music Alliance Walk of Fame in 1994, and the band went into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2000 and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2015.
Steve Sanders took Golden's place in 1987, and Golden came back after Sanders resigned in January 1996. Bonsall died on July 9, 2024.
His return to the Opry this year
Sterban sang with the group again at the Grand Ole Opry on Jan. 30 and 31, 2026, the band said in a news post in February. The audience stood for his "oom papa mow mow" on "Elvira."
"Having Richard on stage with us again was one of God's greatest blessings," Allen said in that post.
Young ended the museum's tribute by calling Sterban "a steady force and a foundational figure in country music." Edit USA will add funeral or memorial details when the band or his family release them.
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