Duane Allen Reveals Emotional Connection to “Ever With Me” After Wife’s Passing
Duane Allen, a stalwart singer of The Oak Ridge Boys, recently opened up about a deeply personal song from the group’s latest album, Mama’s Boys, which holds a profound connection to his late wife, Norah Lee Allen. Norah Lee passed away on Easter Sunday in 2024 after a prolonged illness, leaving a significant void for Duane after nearly 55 years of marriage.
Allen revealed to Taste of Country that recording the song “Ever With Me” during his wife’s illness was an incredibly challenging experience. “There’s a song on here called ‘Ever With Me,’ and if you listen closely enough, you can hear the trembling in my voice,” he shared.
Despite the raw emotion evident in his vocals, the band made the deliberate decision to keep it in the final recording. “We decided to leave it on, because it was real,” Allen explained. “I was going through losing my wife during the recording process of that song, and it has a lot of emotion in it. I really like it.”
A Song Too Tender for the Stage (For Now)
While Mama’s Boys was released in October 2024 and The Oak Ridge Boys have been back on the road, “Ever With Me” has yet to be performed live. Allen admitted that he’s unsure when — or if — the song will make it into their live set. “We’ve not been able to do that on stage yet, because I’m not sure I can even get through it,” he confessed, highlighting the depth of his grief and the song’s personal significance.
The Country Music Hall of Famers had initially planned to retire in 2024 but have since rescinded those plans, maintaining a busy touring schedule for the latter half of 2025. They’ve also hinted at more new music in their future. For now, “Ever With Me” stands as a poignant, deeply personal tribute from Duane Allen to his beloved wife, a raw testament to love and loss captured in a song.