Oak Ridge Boys Return to Gospel Music with Their New Album

By Timothy Yap May 01, 2015 07:44 AM EDT

On My 30th, country music legends the Oak Ridge Boys will be releasing a full-length Gospel album "Rock of Ages: Hymns and Gospel Favorites." This all-new recording features the unmistakable harmonies that have made The Oaks a household name among country and gospel music fans for decades. Duane, William Lee, Joe and Richard have recorded 15 treasured classics, produced by the award-winning Ben Isaacs (Gaither Vocal Band). They are joined by country music legend Merle Haggard as well as The Isaacs. Complete with the warm tones of the fiddle, banjo, mandolin and harmonica, The Oaks breathe new life into these inspiring songs of faith.

The group was founded in the 1940s as the Oak Ridge Quartet. They became popular in southern gospel during the 1950s. Their name was officially changed to the Oak Ridge Boys in the early 1960s, and they remained a gospel group until the mid-1970s, when they changed their image and concentrated on country music. The lineup which produced their most well-known country and crossover hits (such as "Elvira", "Bobbie Sue", and "American Made") consists of Duane Allen (lead), Joe Bonsall (tenor), William Lee Golden (baritone), and Richard Sterban (bass). Golden and Allen joined the group in the mid-1960s, and Sterban and Bonsall joined in the early 1970s. Aside from an eight-year gap (1987-95) when Golden left the group and was replaced, this lineup has been together since 1973 and continues to tour and record.

Track Listing
01. In The Sweet By And By
02. Rock Of Ages
03. Sweet Jesus (The Oak Ridge Boys, Merle Haggard)
04. Angel Band
05. There Is Power In The Blood
06. In The Garden
07. Hold To God's Unchanging Hand
08. I Love To Tell The Story
09. Life's Railway To Heaven
10. Time Has Made A Change In Me
11. Blessed Assurance
12. Father, I Stretch My Hands To Thee
13. Farther Along
14. Just A Little Talk With Jesus
15. Peace Within (The Oak Ridge Boys, The Isaacs)