The Oak Ridge Boys are gearing up to celebrate 50 years as a band and are set to embark on their final tour, dubbed the American Made: Farewell Tour.
After receiving four Academy of Country Music Awards, two American Music Awards, five Billboard Music Awards, four Country Music Association Awards, five GRAMMY Awards and twelve Gospel Music Association Dove Awards (on top of dozens of other accolades), Duane Allen, Joe Bonsall, William Lee Golden and Richard Sterban will be celebrating their 50th anniversary of becoming a band next month, rendering tears from country music and gospel music lovers across the globe.
Becoming members of the Grand Ole Opry, the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, and the Country Music Hall of Fame, as well as achieving 17 number one hits and 37 Top 20 country hits during their illustrious career, the four-piece group has so much to celebrate hand-in-hand with this exceptional milestone.
“I want to thank God for 50 years of singing with three of my best friends and for the fans who have been there for us,” Richard Sterban gushed.
“Thank you so much for these 50 years,” Duane Allen added. “For me, it’s 57 1/2 years. I have given you the best part of my life and you have rewarded me with a wonderful career. Thank you, our dear fans. Thanks to God for His divine guidance. Thank you to our wonderful organization. [and] thank you to all the supporting companies who represent us. Thank you to our families.”
“I was 25 years old in 1973 when I joined The Oak Ridge Boys. I am 75 years old in 2023 and I am still an Oak Ridge Boy. It has been and still is an amazing ride,” Joe Bonsall shared, topping off the statements from the five-time GRAMMY Award-winning band.
American Made: Farewell Tour
In honor of this impressive milestone, the Country Music Hall of Famers plan to hit the road for one last hurrah as a band: the American Made: Farewell Tour.
Named after their smash hit titled “American Made” (which dropped 40 years ago in 1983), the country music legends plan to span their 50-year discography during these must-see live performances, ultimately honoring the “good times and the bad” of The Oak Ridge Boys.
“For all of my career I have always been a planner, sometimes planning 2 or 3 years in advance, what we will do, where we will go, and when we record,” Duane Allen dished. “As we celebrate 50 years of being together, just as you see us, we will also begin our American Made: Farewell Tour. I don’t know how long the tour will last, but we hope to return to as many parts of the country as we can.”
“We are doing a farewell tour because we owe it to our fans to say goodbye,” William Lee Golden added. “They have always been there for us through the good times and the bad. I will always be thankful to every person who came out to a show, bought a tee shirt, played our music, and overall, loved us enough to spend their hard-earned money whenever they could. This tour is for you!”
The critically-acclaimed quartet plans to hit venues all across the country, even making stops at the iconic Grand Ole Opry and Ryman Auditorium this fall.
The Oak Ridge Boys Farewell Tour Dates
September
20 – The Mansion Theatre for the Performing Arts / Branson, Missouri
21 – The Mansion Theatre for the Performing Arts / Branson, Missouri
22 – Capital Region MU Health Care Amphitheater / Jefferson City, Missouri
23 – Dixie Carter Performing Arts Center / Huntington, Tennessee
28 – Norsk Hostfest Great Hall of the Vikings / Minot, North Dakota
29 – Chester Fritz Auditorium / Grand Forks, North Dakota
30 – Swiftel Center / Brookings, South Dakota
October
1 – Deadwood Mountain Grand / Deadwood, South Dakota
4 – The Mansion Theatre for the Performing Arts / Branson, Missouri
5 – The Mansion Theatre for the Performing Arts / Branson, Missouri
6 – Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City / Kansas City, Missouri
7 – Richard Drake’s Party Barn / Powderly, Texas
11 – The Mansion Theatre for the Performing Arts / Branson, Missouri
12 – The Mansion Theatre for the Performing Arts / Branson, Missouri
13 – Arlington Music Hall / Arlington, Texas
14 – Arlington Music Hall / Arlington, Texas
18 – The Mansion Theatre for the Performing Arts / Branson, Missouri
19 – The Mansion Theatre for the Performing Arts / Branson, Missouri
21 – Rome City Auditorium / Rome, Georgia
26 – The Mansion Theatre for the Performing Arts / Branson, Missouri
27 – The Mansion Theatre for the Performing Arts / Branson, Missouri
28 – Neewollah Celebration – Jim Halsey Auditorium / Independence, Kansas
November
1 – The Mansion Theatre for the Performing Arts / Branson, Missouri
2 – The Mansion Theatre for the Performing Arts / Branson, Missouri
3 – Brown County Music Center / Nashville, Indiana
4 – Crossroads Arena / Corinth, Mississippi
8 – The Mansion Theatre for the Performing Arts / Branson, Missouri
9 – The Mansion Theatre for the Performing Arts / Branson, Missouri
11 – Grand Ole Opry / Nashville, Tennessee
15 – The Mansion Theatre for the Performing Arts / Branson, Missouri
16 – The Mansion Theatre for the Performing Arts / Branson, Missouri
21 – Vern Riffe Center for the Arts / Portsmouth, Ohio
24 – Honeywell Center / Wabash, Indiana
25 – Paramount Theatre / Anderson, Indiana
30 – Weldon Mills Theatre / Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina
December
1 – Renfro Valley Barn Dance / Mount Vernon, Kentucky
2 – Anderson Music Hall / Hiawassee, Georgia
7 – Firekeepers Casino / Battle Creek, Michigan
8 – Island Resort & Casino / Harris, Michigan
9 – Island Resort & Casino / Harris, Michigan
12 – Ryman Auditorium / Nashville, Tennessee
14 – Luther F. Carson Four Rivers Center / Paducah, Kentucky
15 – Effingham Performance Center / Effingham, Illinois
16 – Crystal Grand Music Theatre / Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin
17 – Egyptian Theatre / Dekalb, Illinois
Want to catch one of these must-see live performances? If so, you can purchase tickets to see The Oak Ridge Boys HERE.
