Published Tuesday, August 20, 2002
Herald Staff Writer
The Susquehanna River is the "you'nz line" in Pennsylvania, said Joe Bonsall, a Philadelphia native better associated with a Southern drawl as a member of the Oak Ridge Boys.
To the east of the river, people say "yous guys," said Bonsall, the Oaks' tenor. To the west, "you'nz" is more commonly heard.
Tony Butala of the Letterman added that "yunz" is the phrase of choice the farther west you go.
The Alabama-born William Lee Golden took in the conversation quietly until he blurted out, "What are you all talkin' about?"
The Oaks have crossed lots of imaginary lines in their career, which is what earned the quartet a spot in the Vocal Group Hall of Fame and Museum, Sharon.
"They crossed over to country, gospel, pop, rock, you name it," said Butala, chairman and co-founder of the hall of fame. "I think they've done more than any other vocal group that I've been familiar with to achieve that status."
The Oaks were officially inducted a year ago, but could not make the ceremony. The quartet was all set to accept the honor at the originally set date of Sept. 13, which was postponed because of the terrorist attacks two days earlier, and could not attend the new date.
Butala presented the group members with "Harmy" statuettes, marking their induction Monday.
The presentation was followed by an autograph session.
The group sang Sunday at the Kentucky State Fair in Louisville, and was on its way to Monday's appearance at the Westmoreland County Fair in Greensburg.
Unlike many of the performers inducted into the hall of fame, the Oaks -- or, at least half of them -- did not need a map to show them where Sharon is.
"Years ago, before we joined the Oak Ridge Boys, Richard and I were in a group called the Keystone Quartet," said Bonsall, referring to Richard Sterban, a Camden, N.J., native and the group's bass vocalist.
"We worked out of Harrisburg, Pa. We were a gospel group. We used to come to Sharon, Pa. all the time to play at the Sharpsville Camp. We used to go there for like a week, man. They would have a lot of gospel singing, a lot of preaching, the old-time sawdust-on-the-floor, revival type stuff. The kids came from all over Ohio and Pennsylvania to this camp."
Bonsall, 54, Sterban, 59, William Lee Golden, 63, and Duane Allen, 59, of Taylortown, Texas, form the best known line up of the group, which has its origins in the Oak Ridge Quartet.
Formed in 1943 in Oak Ridge, Tenn., the quartet sang gospel, but had the look and stage presence of a 'rock 'n' roll band.
"They were cool," Bonsall said.
The quartet went through more than 30 members as it built its reputation. Golden joined in 1964 and Allen two years later.
With Sterban climbing aboard in 1972 and Bonsall in 1973, the Oak Ridge Boys took a more secular approach to music, which resulted in hits such as "Elvira," "Bobbie Sue," "So Fine," "American Made" and "Gonna Take a Lot of River."
The group never lost its gospel roots, as shown in the latest album, "From the Heart," a gospel recording.
Golden called the induction a "great honor and award," and noted his mother, who taught him to sing harmony, turned 85 Monday.
The hall will induct its next crop of groups Sept. 17.
The Oak Ridge Boys' Web site is at www.oakridgeboys.com The vocal hall Web site is at www.vghf.com
You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Joe Pinchot at
jpinchot@sharonherald.com