You may know Richard Sterban as the incomparable bass voice behind the country and gospel group, the Oak Ridge Boys.  But what you may not know is that Sterban spent some time in the area as part of the well-known Eastmen Quartet and as a Woxall resident.

                Sterban, scheduled to appear in Lancaster and Sellersville this month on tour with the "Oaks," talked about the time he spent locally in a phone interview from his Hendersonville, TN home Tuesday. 

                He said he remembers the day he was hired by the Eastmen Quartet's lead singer, J.R. Damiani.  Damiani is currently a pastor at Family Worship Center in Lansdale.

                "He hired me and it was a complement," Sterban said of respecting Damiani's talents and of their friendship.  "It was an interesting experience.  I was getting a chance to do what I really wanted to do."

                A lifelong music-lover, who played four different instruments in school, Sterban said he moved his wife, Sandra and son, Rich, to an apartment over a garage next door to Damiani's house in 1966.        

                He recalls spending many nights in Damiani's living room, practicing the group's harmonies. 

                While the Eastmen Quartet's leader eventually tired of life on the road, and went back to performing only on weekends, Sterban moved on to other musical acts and landed with J.D. Sumner's Stamps Quartet.  With the Stamps, Sterban performed backup for Elvis.

                "At that time in my life I was singing with the King of Rock and Roll," he said.  "The excitement when Elvis walked out onto the stage, it was unbelievable.  The flash bulbs going off…To be a part of that, the biggest tour in the music industry, was very exciting."

                About two years later, in 1972, Sterban said he made a major decision to leave Elvis and join the Oak Ridge Boys. He called the move going "onto bigger and better things."  But the Oaks, initially purely a gospel quartet who later incorporated country, didn't have immediate success.  They were nearing bankruptcy in 1975 when they received some big backing. 

                The "Man in Black" hired them to sing with him on tour and encouraged the four members, Sterner, Duane Allen, William Lee Golden and Joe Bonsall, to stick it out. 

                "We were actually thinking about disbanding," Sterban said.  "Johnny Cash hired us and really paid us more than we were worth to keep us going.  He said, 'There's something very special about you guys, a magic.  I know you guys see it and no one else may know it or see it yet, but you need to find a way to stay together…If you do stay together you'll make it.'

                "Without Johnny Cash and June Carter there probably wouldn't have been an Oak Ridge Boys," Sterner explained.

                He said the group had the opportunity, a few years later when they won the CMA Vocalist of the Year, to hug Cash, who was hosting the awards show, and publicly thank him.

                "It was pretty special," Sterban said of the moment.

                The Oaks went on to become an iconic American musical group, recording 12 gold, three platinum and one double platinum album.  They've also had more than 12 number-one hit singles and over 30 top-ten hits, selling more than 41 million albums worldwide.

                Over the years the group had recorded with Paul Simon, George Jones, Brenda Lee, Johnny Cash, Roy Rogers, Billy Ray Cyrus, Bill Monroe, Ray Charles and Shooter Jennings.  They have also performed for five presidents.

Of his craft, the 71-year-old said he is always striving to improve.

                "I've always been a person who is never satisfied," he said.  "Obviously I have an unusual voice, people comment on that all the time, and I always do the best I can.  But I always think I can do better."

                In his time outside the studio, Sterban said he is a big baseball fan.  He said he was excited to attend Tuesday night's collegiate baseball game at Vanderbilt.  He's also the unofficial ambassador for the Nashville Sound, a AAA affiliate of the Oakland A's.  Sterban is a former part-owner of the team, who said he still attends some batting practices.

                He said he also enjoys taking long walks, after an Achilles heel injury sidelined his bicycling two years ago, and spending time with his family.

                Sterner, known best for his "oom pa pa oom pa pa mau mau" part in "Elvira," said he feels truly thankful to have enjoyed such a great career; and he has no plans to slow down anytime soon.

                "It's been a great life.  Very few people can say they are doing the thing they dreamed about when they were young.  And to be able to do that for a living…We have so much fun and enjoy what we're doing.  None of us have any plans to retire. 

                "We have established a friendship, a respect for each other that is second to none.  Each guy brings something different to the table.  We're like a true brotherhood, we need each other."

                The Oaks will be coming to the American Music Theatre in Lancaster next Saturday for a show and will appear at the Sellersville Theater for two shows March 22.

                "There's no question they are going to be some great shows," Sterban said.  "My favorite part of the country is the Northeast (he grew up in New Jersey).  We'll be bringing our brand of country and singing our hits, "Elvira," "Bobbie Sue," "Thank God for Kids" and some gospel and patriotic songs.  It's going to be a great night of good music."  

                For more information on the Oak Ridge Boys, visit www.oakridgeboys.com.  You can also read more about Sterban in his autobiography, published in 2013, titled "From Elvis to Elvira: My Life on Stage."