Oak Ridge Boys Member Richard Sterban Reveals Health Diagnosis

Richard Sterban of the Oak Ridge Boys has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

The 82-year-old singer, who has been with the quartet since 1972, announced his diagnosis Thursday on the band’s website.

“In March of this year, I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer,” Sterban said in a statement. “But I am under the care of the best cancer doctors in the country and, with the help of the Good Lord above, I believe I will be able to get through this.”

“I want to thank everyone, especially the fans, for your concern, and I would appreciate your continued prayers. Most days I’m feeling very good,” Sterban went on, concluding, “and I hope to be back out on the road in several months.”

The Oak Ridge Boys, which was long made up of Sterban, Joe Bosnall, Duane Allen and William Lee Golden, are best known for their contemporary take on gospel music. Sterban last performed with the Oak Ridge Boys in May at the Academy of Country Music Awards.

In addition to Sterban’s time with the Oak Ridge Boys, the singer’s credits include performing with J.D. Sumner and the Stamps Quartet, as well as Elvis Presley.

Sterban’s diagnosis news comes over a year after Bonsall died in July 2024 of complications related to his amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) diagnosis at age 76.

Calvin Newton, who performed with the Oak Ridge Boys (then called the Oak Ridge Quartet) from 1953 to 1956, died in March 2023 at age 93. Newton, who passed away peacefully at home, was credited as an “important and iconic member of The Oak Ridge Boys’ gospel legacy” by his successors at the time.