It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas – Thanks To The Oak Ridge Boys

From now until Christmas, the Oak Ridge Boys will celebrate the holidays with nightly shows at Nashville’s Opryland Hotel. It’s part of the Gaylord hotel’s annual “Christmas in Tennessee” dinner show which features one group or artist throughout the holiday season.

The GRAMMY-winning “Oaks” kicked things off with their first show on Thanksgiving eve, performing classics like “Let it Snow,” “Blue Christmas,” and “Silent Night,” along with some of their own Christmas songs from the many holiday albums they’ve recorded through the years.

They also sang Oak Ridge Boys favorites like “American Made,” “Y’all Come Back Saloon,” and of course, “Elvira.”

It’s almost hard to believe that “Elvira,” released in 1981, is marking its 40^th anniversary this year. In introducing the song, Joe Bonsall asked if anyone in the Christmas dinner crowd could remember what other songs they might have been listening to around that same time four decades ago. He listed “Bette Davis Eyes,” “Jessie’s Girl” by Rick Springfield, and “Celebration” by Kool & the Gang as a few examples. He, then, launched into what has become the group’s most requested song ever – everywhere they go.

When it comes to “Elvira,” it doesn’t matter how many times one has heard the song before, there’s nothing quite like hearing it live. It’s definitely one that always has everyone singing along.

Although the Oak Ridge Boys have been making music for decades, their fans span generations and there were a lot of young people, including children, attending this Christmas show. So, there was quite a bit of excitement when Santa Claus made an entrance. The man in red spent some time on stage, then went out into the crowd to say hello.

Later during the show, the Oak Ridge Boys left the main stage to sit down in rocking chairs in front of a fireplace.

Each noted where they’re from and shared a few random thoughts. Bonsall, who grew up in Philadelphia, talked about his parents, both of whom served in World War II (his mother was in the Women’s Army Corps and his father was in Europe on D-Day). Bonsall said it left him with a deep love of America and he added that while a lot of people may be putting it down these days, “I still think it’s the best country in the whole wide world.”

Duane Allen, who grew up on a small farm in Taylortown, Texas, says he and his six brothers and sisters were raised to love each other, God, their country, and their fellow man. He has fond memories, during the holidays, of everyone gathering around the piano and singing together. Singing, he says, was always a happy time.

William Lee Golden grew up on a cotton and peanut farm in southern Alabama. He, too, says music was an important part of his early life with all of the kids playing instruments and singing year-round, but especially at Christmas. Years later, after moving to Nashville and raising children of his own, it was always meaningful to go back home and recapture some of those early holiday memories.

Here, he took time to recall, and sing a song from the group’s 1982 Christmas album called “Thank God for Kids.”

Richard Sterban, who provides the deep bass voice for the group, is a New Jersey native, but noted he is from “southern” New Jersey, and laughingly added, “There IS a difference.” He talked a little bit about the group’s latest album Front Porch Singin’ which highlights some of the special harmony they’ve made famous through the years.

They ended the show with “Joy to the World” and warm wishes for a very Merry Christmas! The Oak Ridge Boys will be performing nightly (for a total of 31 shows) now through the evening of December 25^th.

The “Christmas in Tennessee” dinner show at Opryland is an annual event showcasing different groups or artists for a series of in-residence shows during the holidays. Those featured in the past have include Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers, Trace Adkins, Louise Mandrell, Pam Tillis, and others. The Oak Ridge Boys did last year’s show (with smaller crowds due to COVID protocols) and were excited to return for the 2021 Christmas season.

The group will take a short break after Christmas, then head out for a Country Music Cruise in mid-January. They go back on the road for a series of tour dates later in January.

To learn more about the Oak Ridge Boys or buy tickets for one of their shows – visit their website at www.oakridgeboys.com.