In 1943, Richard Sterban, bass singer for the Oak Ridge Boys, was born in Camden, New Jersey. The Oaks charted forty seven country hits with Richard as bass singer, including seventeen Number Ones. They also had seventeen more Top Ten records. Richard himself, was also a backup singer with JD Sumner and the Stamps, when they were touring with Elvis. Quite a career.
In 1976, EmmyLou Harris went to Number One with her great rendition of "Together Again".
In 1982, Ricky Skaggs was "Crying My Heart Out Over You", even as he went to Number One on the charts.
In 1993, Sammy Kershaw was atop the charts with "She Don't Know She's Beautiful".
In 2006, one of the most influential women in country music passed
away. Bonnie Owens, was first married to Buck Owens, then Merle
Haggard, and then once again to a relatively unknown. Though she was a
noted solo artists on her own, it is her work with Haggard for which she
will ever be remembered. One night in Mobile, Alabama, she told me
that she would give the world for her best friend, the Hag, but they had
messed up that friendship for a little while with marriage. When I
last spoke to her, she had just put the finishing touches on her final
album, and she was happy with her career, and her life. We miss her,
and I am sure the Hag does.
