The Oak Ridge Boys Announce Release of Gospel Hymns Album

The Oak Ridge Boys will soon have a new album of gospel hymns available for their fans. The quartet, made up of Duane Allen, Joe Bonsall, William Lee Golden and Richard Sterban, will release Rock of Ages: Hymns and Gospel Favorites on May 26 on Gaither Music Group.

“All of the Oak Ridge Boys are men of faith,” lead singer Allen says of the 15-track project. “We were raised in four different states, but we were all brought up in homes where our parents taught us about Jesus and believing in God. All of the Oaks grew up singing in church. These songs are some of the first we learned to sing. Their messages of hope, love, assurance, faith, heaven and, basically, how to live formed the foundation of each of us.

“The reason these old hymns are so familiar is because they are great," he continues. "They have lived through the decades, even centuries, because they were written in times when man’s faith was tested. They have stood the test of time because the message transcends the test of time.”

The new album includes a collaboration with Merle Haggard, "Sweet Jesus," which Haggard penned for the new project.

“Merle Haggard has been a good friend of the Oak Ridge Boys for decades,” Allen explains. “He was taping a TV show with Marty Stuart and the Fabulous Superlatives, and my son-in-law, Paul Martin, sings and plays with the Fabulous Superlatives, so Merle gave Paul a copy of "Sweet Jesus" and asked him to give it to me for the Oaks."

The four-man group never imagined the Hag would be willing to sing on the album, but they were delighted when the country music icon lent his distinct vocals.

“We loved the recitation and thought if we could just get Merle to do that recitation, we would be thrilled," Allen notes. "But then, it worked so well that Merle just kept on singing with us on the last chorus — a once-in-a-lifetime experience for all of the Oak Ridge Boys. It is one of the biggest thrills of my career to get to sing and record with Merle Haggard.”

Rock of Ages: Hymns and Gospel Favorites also includes a collaboration with the Isaacs on the album's final track, "Peace Within."

The Oak Ridge Boys will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame later this year, along with Jim Ed Brown and the Browns and the late Grady Martin.

See a complete track listing for Rock of Ages: Hymns and Gospel Favorites below. The album is currently available at all Cracker Barrel Old Country Store locations and is available for pre-order through Amazon, Walmart and ChristianBook.com.

The Oak Ridge Boys, Rock of Ages: Hymns and Gospel Favorites Track Listing:

1. "In the Sweet By and By"
2. "Rock of Ages"
3. "Sweet Jesus" (with Merle Haggard)
4. "Angel Band"
5. "There Is Power in the Blood"
6. "In the Garden"
7. "Hold to God’s Unchanging Hand"
8. "I Love to Tell the Story"
9. "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" (with the Isaacs)