The Oak Ridge Boys: Retirement Plans on Hold as Band Continues “As Long as God Keeps Blessing”
Nashville, TN – The Oak Ridge Boys, country music legends who announced their “American Made: Farewell Tour” in September 2023 with plans to retire by the end of 2024, have officially rescinded those plans. According to lead singer Duane Allen, the beloved vocal group is “still going strong, with no end in sight.”
In a recent interview with Taste of Country, Allen revealed that the decision to continue came from his bandmates, William Lee Golden, Richard Sterban, and newest member Ben James. “They said, ‘We’ve all talked, and we want to keep working. We’re not through singing yet,'” Allen recalled, explaining that this conversation happened just a couple of months before their scheduled 2024 tour wrap-up.
Enduring Through Unprecedented Loss
This renewed commitment comes after an extraordinarily challenging period for the band. In a short span, the Oak Ridge Boys experienced a tremendous amount of personal loss. Duane Allen’s wife of nearly 55 years, Norah Lee Allen, passed away on Easter weekend 2024, the same weekend Richard Sterban’s wife lost her father. Following these personal losses, William Lee Golden’s son, Rusty, died on July 1, 2024, and longtime Oak Ridge Boys singer Joe Bonsall passed away on July 9 at age 76 due to complications from ALS.
Allen estimates that the group lost 16 family members, close friends, or team members within just a few months. “That four months was a very difficult time for the Oak Ridge Boys,” he acknowledged. “But we just kept believing and kept praying, and God has opened up some doors for us.”
A Future on the Road and in the Studio
Responding to the band’s desire to keep performing, Allen quickly began booking more shows. The group is now actively touring, with their official live schedule extending through October 2025, and new dates are expected to be added. They are also discussing recording new music in 2025.
For Allen, continuing to perform provides immense personal solace. “Right now, I don’t have any end date in sight,” he stated, noting he just began his 60th year with the Oak Ridge Boys. Having recently lost his wife, he finds a new sense of purpose on the road. “I have no one to come home to. Singing and the fans on the road, they’re all my family now. And this group of guys I work with, we all love each other, and we love what we do. So I don’t know when the end date will be.”
Ultimately, Allen believes the group’s future is in a higher power’s hands. “The fact that God has blessed us for so many years… when He gets His mind made up that we’ve done enough, He will tell us, ‘It is enough. Go on home,'” he concluded. “We’ll keep singing as long as God keeps blessing our career.”