Oak Ridge Boys Receive Prestigious U.S. Military Award

The Oak Ridge Boys are one of the most-awarded acts in country music, and they have received yet another honor. The five-time Grammy Award winners were the recipients of the Bob Hope Award for Excellence in Entertainment by the Congressional Medal of Honor Society on Aug. 8, recognizing their work with the American Legion.

The quartet, made up of Joe Bonsall, Duane Allen, William Lee Golden and Richard Sterban, partnered with the American Legion last year to help raise awareness and support for better detection and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder among U.S. military servicemen and -women and veterans. As part of their ongoing work, the Grand Ole Opry members have also assisted with improving the VA benefits process, as well as the education and career opportunities that are available to veterans as they return to civilian life.

The Oak Ridge Boys recently released their Rock of Ages: Hymns and Gospel Favorites album, which was recorded with all of the men singing live in the studio together.

“I wanted to do a stripped-down album,” Allen tells The Boot. “The way we normally record in Nashville, we hire all of the greatest musicians in the world to come in and punch in the time clock, and they work for three hours and try to get as many songs as you can in that period of time. You don’t really record with them; you just do a work track. But you basically come in days after, and you sing your part. You’re basically doing karaoke to your own tracks. That’s the way we’ve done it for years, and we’re successful at it. [But] that’s [only] one way of doing it.”

The Oak Ridge Boys will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame at a special ceremony later this year.